Procore Technologies, a leading provider of construction management software, was experiencing rapid growth. The company needed a revised management approach that could accommodate such expansion in terms of business volume and professional staff. Tooey Courtemanche, Procore’s CEO and founder, and other company leaders recognized the opportunity to enhance staff collaboration, curiosity, and capacity for personal growth. Procore leveraged this chance by launching a pilot coaching program for a small group of leaders, which ignited an unexpected appetite across the organization for more internal coaching opportunities. Soon thereafter, Procore brought in ICF-credentialed coaches to build a program that could align to and integrate with the robust company culture to provide coaching accessibility and scalability. Since the pilot, Procore’s coaching program has reached more than half of its employees and is a powerful tool for acquiring and retaining talent, developing leaders, and nurturing a world-class culture that values the whole employee.
In 2019 Procore’s sustained commitment and innovative approach to coaching earned the company the International Coaching Federation’s top honor for organizations with strong coaching cultures—the ICF International Prism Award. This award honors organizations that have achieved the highest standard of excellence in coaching programs that yield discernible and measurable positive impacts, meet rigorous professional standards, achieve key strategic goals, and shape organizational culture.
To make coaching more accessible, Procore offered a 90-minute, in-person workshop called Framing Up Coaching, which introduced listening skills, powerful questions, leaning into curiosity, and an understanding of presence and perspective. Being able to leverage these skills builds empathy, connection, and work effectiveness. In addition, as part of every new employee’s five-day orientation, Procore integrates coaching into the onboarding process. One of the company’s internal executive coaches speaks at each orientation, explaining the program and its offerings to employees and discussing how it affects company culture. New employees also get a tiny taste of curiosity through a playful question game, which occurs on the first day of orientation to plant the seed that Procore invites a growth mindset from day one.
Combined with its team of internal executive coaches, Procore gives employees the opportunity to receive on-demand coaching from external, ICF-credentialed coach practitioners. Employees who use this service commit to weekly one-hour coaching sessions via webcam. They also can access this service anytime during business hours for spontaneous check-ins.
To accommodate various working schedules and communication styles, Procore created an online community for employees to explore on their own time. Coaching Corner is a collaborative space that features articles written by internal executive coaches as well as forums where people can share questions related to coaching.
In addition to ensuring that coaching was readily accessible, Procore designed a program that could be scaled to accommodate the company’s ongoing growth. To achieve this, it reinforces a coaching culture in the workplace through leaders who embody a coaching approach. These leaders understand how to ask their team questions instead of giving answers, apply active listening, and help their team members navigate toward a solution.