A Success Coach is an Above and Beyond Benefit for Employees

By Marianne Durrant

Earlier this year, Heritage Christian Services introduced the Employer Resource Network (ERN) to businesses in the Rochester community. ERN is a group of employers who understand that one of the best ways to have a strong workforce is to provide support to their employees. As the first businesses signed on, our success coach, Chanel Terrell, immediately hit the ground running, assisting employees at HCS and other organizations, improving workforce retention, and positively impacting staff members’ lives.

We were excited to bring in this new resource to our employees and to our community. Initially, we didn’t know how much of an impact it would have on the lives of the people who used this service.  Less than six months since the launch, we have already received positive feedback from some of the organizations that made this investment in their workforce. This partnership between the employee and the success coach provides a resource to employees who are dealing with personal matters which may impact their employment. Together they find a recourse to help them remain in their roles. So far, our success coach has assisted people who are dealing with housing, healthcare, and transportation emergencies, areas impacting the significant issues in our community.

Success looks different to different people, and can’t only be measured from a socio-economic perspective. The success coach offers employees problem solving and resource building skills. For example, an employee from Jewish Senior Life came to our success coach with work-life balance difficulties. The employee felt overwhelmed managing family life while working multiple jobs and studying for the CNA exam. After meeting with the success coach, the employee was able to come up with a plan on how to advocate for themself with a supervisor to coordinate time to study. It may seem like a simple issue but it can make all the difference to someone who is dealing with potential burnout. Through collaboration and support, the employee is more comfortable being transparent with their supervisor. Reaching the goal of becoming a CNA is ultimately a win for everyone. The employee advances in their professional life and can spend more time with family, and the employer can retain a dedicated worker.

Success Coaching can be an effective way of supporting employees, simply by providing a confidential person with whom to talk. One employee had been dealing with supporting a child through a traumatic experience and was facing termination due to attendance issues and inability to focus on the job. The conversation led to the success coach suggesting the employee file for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to relieve the stress of potentially losing their job and make time to work through the challenges affecting the family. As a new year approaches, our goal is to continue being a collaborative partner in the success of the local workforce. Soon we will be announcing the second success coach in Rochester, and another coach for the Employer Resource Network launch in western New York.