What Does Hand Holding Mean?

Many young professionals see the term “hand holding” in job postings or office-speak and wonder what it means. Hand holding refers to someone assisting another person who needs help in certain tasks. It’s a “babysitting” of sorts. It entails providing guidance, explanation, direction, support, or clarity to someone else. It’s typically used to describe an HR, training, or supervisory role.

Let’s look at an example of hand holding in the context of a newly trained worker. Imagine an organization that needs to hire a customer service representative. The employer might post a job description that states, “The ideal candidate should have a knack for hand holding new customer service reps through their onboarding process.” In this case, hand holding refers to the manager providing assistance to the new rep as they learn about the company and learn the task of customer service. This could include giving one-on-one instruction, providing feedback on performance, or offering coaching and troubleshooting.

Hand holding does not necessarily have to be a one-on-one process. It is often used to describe working with a group, such as during a meeting or a training session. In this context, it could mean providing tips, advice, and guidance to ensure everyone is on the same page and that everyone understands the task. So if a job description mentions hand holding, it’s likely referring to someone who enjoys providing help and instruction to others.