CASE STUDY: WICKES
Driving Colleague Engagement in a Simple and Effective Way
How Wickes Scaled High-Impact, Cost-Effective Coaching to Drive Engagement?
SUMMARY
A leading UK home improvement retailer has long valued the power of great coaching conversations as part of its learning and development offering. However, this support was historically limited to a smaller number of senior-level roles. The challenge was to find a partner that could help them democratise access to high-quality coaching, making it available to more colleagues at all levels in a way that was simple, flexible, and offered clear value.
Coaching Programme at a Glance
Key Challenges
Limited accessibility
Coaching was only available for a few higher-grade roles, leaving a gap in development for other colleagues.
No Admin Hurdles
Traditional coaching models often require finding fixed cohorts, which created logistical challenges and delays.
Personalisation
The business wanted to avoid a "one size fits all" approach and find a solution that could cater to the diverse and individual needs of its colleagues.
Value-Driven
Finding a partner with a cost-effective model, ensuring the investment could be spread widely to benefit a larger number of employees.
TESTIMONIAL
How We’re Making a Difference
“My Coaching Place has been the ideal partner for scaling our coaching offer. Their flexible, cost-effective model and incredibly simple platform removed the barriers that previously limited coaching to senior roles. The partnership is refreshingly practical, and the impact is undeniable: we're seeing increased engagement as colleagues feel truly invested in as individuals.”
— Claire Bailey, Learning & Development Business Partner
The Partnership in Action over 2 years
My Coaching Place has become a trusted extension of the Wickes L&D team
OUTCOMES
Employees Feel Valued
Coaching made individuals feel recognized and appreciated by the organization. They felt it was about them as individuals and not as employees
Strong Coach-Client Relationships
Trust and rapport between coaches and employees enhanced the coaching impact.
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Manager-driven momentum
Leaders who have personally seen the value of coaching are now championing it for their teams.
Higher engagement
Participants showed higher motivation and involvement in their roles following coaching.
Impact on Mindset
Behavioural shifts and fresh thinking are common outcomes. Results are seen by colleagues.
Culture shift
Coaching is now viewed as a personal investment, not just a corporate tool
THE RECOMMENDATION
When asked, the response was unequivocal
​“I would say to anyone looking for a coaching provider that is reliable, flexible and can support you to find the right solution to your business that my recommendation would be My Coaching Place.”
— Louise Hawkes, Senior Talent Acquisition Partner
The Impact was a Ripple Effect of Engagement and Growth
By embedding My Coaching Place into its L&D strategy, Wickes has seen clear, tangible benefits for both individuals and the wider business.
BENEFITS
For the Individual
Coachees report significant shifts in their "thinking and behaviour" and feel "valued by the business". The feedback consistently highlights the "great relationship with their coach" and how the experience "has made them think so differently". Crucially, colleagues express their appreciation that the coaching is about "them as an individual not an employee," which makes the benefit feel deeply personal.
BENEFITS
Across the Organisation
The positive impact is creating a powerful ripple effect. Line managers who have experienced coaching for themselves now actively request it for their own team members, as "they can see their colleagues developing as a result". This has led to a noticeable increase in engagement across the business.
The Solution was a Partnership Built on Simplicity, Flexibility, and Value
Wickes chose to partner with My Coaching Place, a decision driven by a unique combination of an easy-to-use platform, a flexible delivery model, and a supportive, practical relationship.
BENEFITS
Automated, Simple Onboarding
My Coaching Place stood out for its "easy to use platform and process". The automated nature of the platform makes for a seamless experience for coachees. For the central team, this means getting colleagues started is "quick and easy", making the entire process "very efficient".
Unmatched Flexibility
The model provided the exact flexibility Wickes needed. They could "utilise as many or few spaces as we required and without the need to find cohorts".
Furthermore, My Coaching Place offered different levels of coaching, ensuring that the support was tailored to the specific needs of the individual.​​
A True Partnership
The working relationship is described as "easy," "functional and practical rather than time consuming".
This is built on a foundation of honest communication and reliable support, it allowed both teams to work together smoothly and focus on delivering impact.
Bespoke, High-Touch Support for Leaders
For senior or bespoke coaching, matching colleagues with experienced coaches, showing a commitment to individual needs over a one-size-fits-all approach. My Coaching Place takes a personal interest in each engagement, gathering input from stakeholders and the coachee before curating a tailored shortlist.
Exceptional Value
The accessible and scalable nature of the model was instrumental in helping Wickes achieve its goal of making coaching more widely available ensuring coaching was not limited to a select few.
This meant Wickes could provide a high-impact development opportunity to the people who would benefit most.
Scalable Impact
Due to the range of options, My Coaching Place enabled Wickes to scale coaching far beyond traditional limits.
The model made it possible to extend high-quality coaching to a much wider audience, ensuring consistent development opportunities across different roles and levels of the business.
Looking Ahead: Embedding Coaching in Leadership
Wickes plans to continue embedding coaching into its core talent strategy, particularly in supporting the rollout of new "Wickes Leadership Behaviours". There is a clear role for coaching to provide targeted, individual support and to be integrated into the journey for those who complete leadership programmes.
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