EZRA, in collaboration with Microsoft, has achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the most people to complete a business coaching program in one year, coaching 4,816 Microsoft employees across 80 countries. This milestone highlights the transformative impact of EZRA’s digital coaching platform on career development, fostering employee growth and retention at one of the world’s leading technology companies.
EZRA’s digital coaching platform partnered with Microsoft to deliver a groundbreaking career development program, achieving a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title on April 28, 2025, in London. The initiative coached 4,816 Microsoft employees through 13,704 individual sessions, averaging 430 sessions weekly across 80 countries. This program, part of Microsoft’s broader in-house coaching strategy, engaged 294 International Coaching Federation-accredited coaches to deliver personalized, scalable career support.
The program significantly enhanced career behaviors, with a 34% overall increase. Notably, employees saw a 51% improvement in defining career steps and a 37% rise in articulating goals. Additionally, 27% of participants reported increased ambition, skill development, and network-building. Career confidence grew by 14%, while awareness of internal resources and job opportunities improved by 16% and 13%, respectively. These outcomes align with Microsoft’s goal of making career development a primary reason for employees to stay, as noted by Nick Goldberg, founder and CEO of EZRA: "Microsoft is making career development the number one reason for people to join and stay. And we're proud to help them do it."
EZRA’s 1:1 coaching, integrated into Microsoft’s 12-week program for 70,000 employees, uses Microsoft Teams for sessions, exercises, and advice, with 83% of participants finding this format valuable. The program’s personalized approach, as highlighted by Panos Malakoudis, coaching centre of excellence lead at Microsoft, sets an industry standard: "Our career coaching programme is an industry first, offering personalized support to over 70,000 employees worldwide." Results include an 18% increase in understanding career options, a 38% rise in defining next steps, and an 11% boost in envisioning a long-term future at Microsoft.
Beyond individual coaching, the program certified 68 internal Microsoft coaches at ICF Level 1, bringing the total to 115. This strengthens Microsoft’s internal coaching capabilities, combining internal and external expertise to foster a culture of continuous development. Employees gave EZRA coaches an impressive 98% average rating, underscoring the program’s quality and impact. As Goldberg stated, "A GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title shows that we're achieving something nobody else is."
This milestone demonstrates the power of innovative coaching solutions in driving employee engagement and organizational success. EZRA’s partnership with Microsoft sets a benchmark for scalable, high-impact career development programs, redefining how global companies empower their workforce.
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