Good news for coaching consumers

Credentials holders on the rise as clients expect more from their coach

Are you thinking about working with a coach? If so, you will be pleased to hear that the International Coach Federation’s (ICF) 2009 ICF Global Coaching Client Study* reports high levels of satisfaction with the work being conducted by professional coaches all over the world. A strong majority—78.5 percent—of individuals in the European/Middle Eastern/African region (EMEA) who have experienced professional coaching report being “very satisfied” with their coaching experience.

This high satisfaction rating can be correlated with a significant return on investment for companies and individuals who use coaching. Those from EMEA who invested in coaching within their organisations reported the median financial return to the company was 1,567 percent, or nearly 16 times their investment in coaching. These gains may have come directly from improved processes and skills being developed through coaching, increased efficiencies, talent retention or,more generally, through an improved corporate culture. Additional research on the return on investment that professional coaching yields can be accessed through the ICF Research Portal at Coachfederation.org/research.

With return on investment now well documented, potential clients can focus on the important task of selecting the right coach for them. So, what are the most important qualities to look for when engaging a professional coach for your organisation? Years of experience, level of education, calibre of previous coaching clients the coach has worked with?

Using the Client Study as a guide, 89 percent of purchasers of coaching, from individuals to organisations, consider the coach’s level of coach-specific training to be “very” or “somewhat” important in choosing the right coach. Beyond training, demonstrated proficiency in the coaching process through certification is important. Seventy-seven percent of respondents consider a coaching credential or certification to be “very” or “somewhat” important when selecting a coach to work with.

There is good news for organisations and individuals who want to be assured they are hiring a professional coach with extensive training and a reputable credential. The ICF offers the only globally recognized independent credential and an increasing number of coaches from around the world, over 5,400, currently hold an ICF Credential.

According to the 2007 ICF Global Coaching Study*, the precursor study to this year’s Client Study, 52 percent of coaches report their clients expect the coach they hire to be credentialed. Coaches expect the demand for credentials will continue to grow as more and more people discover the impact coaching can have at all levels of an organization—and seek to ensure they are partnering with the best.

To meet the growing demand for credentials and ensure the global credibility and value of ICF Credentials, the ICF is working to align its credentialing programme to International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) standards for bodies operating certification of persons. ISO is the world’s largest developer and publisher of International Standards. Aligning the ICF Credentialing programme to ISO standards will act as an additional safeguard to consumers.

Individuals interested in finding an ICF Credentialed coach can visit the online ICF Coach Referral Service (CRS), a free public resource that allows consumers to tailor their search for an ICF Credentialed coach based on specific criteria, including professional experience of the coach, coaching specialties, desired coaching method, language preference, location and more. The CRS is available at Coachfederation.org/CRS.

* Results representative of survey respondent sample.

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