Coaching and Mentoring Are on the Rise, But Few Organizations Are Nailing Execution — New Study by HR.com Research Institute
HR.com’s newly released research report, HR.com’s Future Demands in Coaching and Mentoring 2025, reveals a striking trend: while the majority of organizations are investing in coaching and mentoring, many are falling short of realizing their full business potential.
A growing number of organizations are prioritizing coaching and mentoring—70% offer coaching programs and 60% have mentoring initiatives. However, a gap in execution is evident: while over two-thirds of HR professionals view them as strategic, only 45% report a significant boost to business success. To drive real impact, organizations may need stronger infrastructure, better training, and more effective measurement.
Respondents identified the following top roadblocks preventing coaching and mentoring programs from achieving their full potential:
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Lack of time
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Managers avoid difficult conversations
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No clear training or career pathing
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No defined outcomes
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Budget constraints
With leadership development emerging as one of the hottest HR issues of 2025, the research points to a need for better infrastructure, measurement, and support. High-performing organizations are more than three times as likely to reward internal coaches and track program impact using retention and engagement data.
Yet, many companies still fail to invest enough in those doing the work:
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Only 51% of coaches and 45% of mentors are well-trained
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Just 50% of coaches and 53% of mentors receive recognition or rewards for their efforts
“The data shows coaching and mentoring are being widely adopted, but execution is where many organizations stumble,” said Debbie McGrath, Chief Instigator and CEO of HR.com. “If your organization isn’t using coaching or mentoring yet, now is the time to start—but be strategic about how you implement and support these programs.”
The recording of the research webcast presentation, Shatter Coaching Myths to Unlock Employee Potential, is available for viewing 24/7 on demand.
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