Employment Coaching: Impact Findings From a Multi-Program Evaluation and Implications for Practitioners and Policymakers

Recent research has led policymakers and scholars to argue that some people might not achieve economic independence in part because of difficulty applying the self-regulation skills—sometimes referred to as soft skills or executive functioning skills—needed to get, keep, and advance in a job. Evidence suggests that facing poverty, and the multiple stresses that accompany it, can make it particularly difficult to develop and use self-regulation skills. However, emerging research suggests that employment coaching from a trained staff member may strengthen self-regulation skills, and these skills, in turn, may improve employment outcomes for low-income people. This 2022 Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) session presents initial implementation and impact findings from ACF’s Evaluation of Employment Coaching for TANF and Related Populations. The session also included a practitioner’s perspective on implications of the findings. Lauren Deutsch Stanton, ACF, moderated this session and Ruthie Liberman, EMPath, served as the panel’s discussant. Speakers also included Sheena McConnell and Quinn Moore, both from Mathematica.