Case Study: Circl & Google
How Google Managed Diverse Personalities to Improve Leadership Impact
About Google
Industry: Technology
Location: Global
Company size: 100,000+ globally, 4,000+ in the UK
Google is a global technology leader offering consumer and business tools such as Search, Maps, Chrome, YouTube, Google Workspace, and Ads. Known for its innovative culture and collaborative work environment, Google consistently ranks among the world’s best employers.
The challenge: Managing Diverse Personalities to Improve Leadership Impact
Google’s London engineering team sought to prepare approximately 20 software engineers to act as hosts and mentors for new engineering apprentices. The team wanted to enhance their leadership, coaching, and management skills to better engage with a wide range of personalities and working styles.
Working in a large organisation, engineers frequently encounter colleagues and apprentices with diverse approaches, making strong interpersonal skills essential. Many participants also aimed to improve confidence in new social interactions and increase self-awareness at work.
The Solution
Practical Coaching Experience with Real-Life Matches
“The two-way coaching aspect was one of the main reasons for choosing Circl. Working with students fit perfectly with our typical profile for apprentices, which gave the Google team the best learning opportunity for hosting apprentices in the future.”
Maya Tudor, Global Apprenticeships Specialist
Enhanced Engagement and Learning
Participants found the hands-on, two-way coaching structure more engaging and impactful than traditional training
Many valued learning from young people with different backgrounds, gaining fresh perspectives for their own development.
Circl delivered a leadership development programme tailored for Google’s engineers, combining coaching theory with real-time practice:
Participants attended expert-led sessions on coaching theory, communication, active listening, curiosity, and providing feedback
Each engineer was matched with a Future Leader—a young person from a disadvantaged background—for weekly 1-2-1 coaching sessions via Zoom
The programme created a two-way coaching dynamic, where participants both coached and were coached by their matches, encouraging deeper learning and perspective- taking.
“The nerves helped me concentrate. Being put in the deep end pushed me to the next level.”
Delwhar Hussain, Engineering Manager
Key stats
82% increased coaching confidence
95% applied coaching skills at work
20 engineers trained in coaching and leadership
Behaviour Change and Confidence
82% of participants reported increased confidence in their coaching abilities by programme end.
95% shared concrete examples of applying coaching skills at work Professionals and Future Leaders alike valued being treated as equals, learning from each other’s perspectives.
Engineers developed skills in active listening, asking open-ended questions, and building trust through coaching.
Stronger Teams and Better Relationships
Managers reported improved relationships with their reports by treating them as equals and encouraging autonomy
Teams experienced more collaborative problem-solving and goal-setting
Coaching supported growth pathways for junior team members and fostered more engaging development conversations
By partnering with Circl, Google gave its engineers meaningful coaching skills grounded in real- world practice, boosting confidence, leadership impact, and team collaboration.
The programme helped build inclusive leaders ready to support diverse apprenticeships and foster lasting relationships across generations.
Discover how Circl can help your leaders build inclusive, empowered teams here.