Make up of a Modern Day Coach Skills, Experience & Motivations
Introducing the research... As the world s largest training organisation for coaches, the coaching academy has developed a reputation for quality training for over a decade >>> In November 2011, we conducted our first International subscriber survey with over 760 coaches taking the opportunity to respond to an online survey. We d like to acknowledge and thank all survey respondents, whose invaluable participation produces some interesting and significant findings to consider. Contents... Characteristics of a Modern Day Coach 1 A Well Qualified Profession 3 The Value of Coaching Courses and Personal Coaches 4 The Importance of Self Motivation 5 Delivering, Charging and Earning 6 Increasing Clients and the Use of Network & Referrals 8 Concluding the Research 9 The Coaching Academy www.the-coaching-academy.com info@the-coaching-academy.com 0208 4399 440
Characteristics of the modern day coach... >>> The Gender of Coaches: The survey data reveals that over twice as many coaches are female (69%) than male (31%). 69% female coaches 31% male coaches >>> The Age of Coaches: The typical coach is aged between 35 and 49 (48%), or 50-64 (36%), with far fewer coaches in the younger (12%) and older (3%) age categories. (See Figure 1). Whether this is a matter of personal choice or anchored more to opportunity linked to skills and qualifications is open to debate. The Age of Coaches 3% 1% 12% 36% 48% 65+ yrs 50-64 yrs 35-49 yrs 25-34 yrs 18-24 yrs 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Figure 1 1
>>> Coach Nationality: Just under 80% of the coaches surveyed were British, with a further 11% non-uk EU nationals, with 10% from outside of Europe and 2% from non-eu Europe. >>> Coach Residence: Over 50% of UK coaches surveyed were from the South East of England. (See Figure 2). This may be influenced by the geographical location of The Coaching Academy itself, as sponsors of the survey the invitation to complete the survey was initially sent to its members and contacts. Therefore with an arguable tendency to attract coaches who are also residents of this region. 0.2% 5.3% 10.3% 6.1% 51% of coaches from the South East UK 2% 11.5% 5.5% 8.3% 50.9% Figure 2 The Coaching Academy www.the-coaching-academy.com info@the-coaching-academy.com 0208 4399 440 2
A well qualified profession - Attracting a healthy proportion of new colleagues, whilst retaining those who are more established... >>> Coaching Experience: The results positively suggest that a significant percentage (40%) of coaches are new to the market, with less than two years of coaching experience. This indicates that the profession, in attracting a significant proportion of newcomers, is seen as being very much worthy of investment in challenging economic times. 25% had 3-5 years of coaching experience, 18% had 6-9 years of experience, whilst fewer (just 17%) had more than ten years experience. (See Figure 3). A 2010 HDA survey of organisations using executive coaches reports that the vast majority are looking for experienced coaches - in addition to value for money - in their coaching provider. Figure 3 40% 25% 18% 17% Years of Coaching Experience 0-2 yrs 3-5 yrs 6-9yrs 10+ yrs >>> A Highly Qualified Profession: The vast majority of coaches (98%) hold academic qualifications; with 53% holding a Bachelors degree and/or a Master s degree. (See Figure 4). 53% 53% 40% 28% Degree GCSE/O Level A/AS Level M asters Degree 12% NVQ PhD GNVQ None 3% 2% 2% Academic Qualifications Figure 4 3
Real value attached to coaching courses, training and the use of personal coaches and supervisors. >>> The Value of Coaching Qualifications: 63% of the coaches surveyed hold formal coaching qualifications of which a further 20% are still in the process of qualifying, attained either in the last decade. >>> The Value of Coaching Courses/Training: Is clearly evident, with over 91% of coaches attending a coaching course, or receiving coaching training, within the last three years. Of which 71% have attended an event within the last year. This suggests that for a majority of coaches, training and courses are undoubtedly worth the investment. Similarly, value is attached by many to the use of a coach or supervisor for self-development, with almost two-thirds of coaches (64%) utilising another in this capacity. These Statistics show the self-regulating nature of the Coaching Industry is taken very seriously by practicing coaches. >>> A Significant Proportion of Coaches Are Members of Coaching Organisations: Over 40% in fact - typically including the International Coach Federation, Association for Coaching, Institute of Leadership and Management, and European Mentoring and Coaching Council. >>> A Real Focus on Life Coaching: Life coaching (53%) stands as the main area of focus identified by coaches. This is followed by corporate coaching (27%), and small business coaching (15%), with youth impact coaching some way behind (5%). Interestingly, more male than female coaches regard corporate coaching as their area of expertise (32% compared with 24%), with experienced coaches (10 years +) also most likely to have corporate coaching expertise. >>> Many Coaches are Using their Skills to Run a Full or Part Time Coaching Business: In fact, over half of all coaches are utilising their skills in this way. (See Figure 5). It s interesting to note that the most experienced coaches (with 10 years experience plus) are most likely to be in a full time business role than their less experienced counterparts. The Coaching Academy www.the-coaching-academy.com info@the-coaching-academy.com 0208 4399 440 4 Part time business Full time business Part of current role Figure 5 4% 2% 15% How Coaching Skills Are Utilised 23% 23% 33% Personal development Employed as coach Hobby or interest
The importance of self-motivation and the ability to help others reach their potential... >>> Critical to Starting Out: Over 60% of coaches regard self motivation as the most important factor when starting a coaching career. Clearly, this is something which is felt to be of vital importance in the journey towards coaching success. A further third (33%) recognised the need for a robust qualification as the most important factor when embarking on a coaching journey. 6% 7% 8% 18% 5% Primary Coaching Motivations 56% >>> Maximising Opportunity and Unlocking Potential: Helping others to recognise their potential is undoubtedly the primary motivation for coaches. Over half of all coaches list this as their number one motivation, emphasising a real desire to encourage and help others achieve (See Figure 6). This is a reason far ahead of more selfmotivated considerations of income and personal development, and one which applies regardless of gender, age or experience. This recognition of potential aligns well with the HDA survey results, which reported that individuals who are coached are expected to gain considerably from the coaching experience, which delivers motivation, drive and an ability to surmount obstacles. Help recognise potential Personal development Make a community difference Figure 6 Additional income Full time living Enhance current job role 5
Delivering, charging and earning... >>> An Emphasis on Face to Face Sessions*: Coaches use a variety of media for coaching sessions. The vast majority (90%) of coaches undertake face to face sessions a finding consistent with that of the HDA 2010 survey which highlights this as the most frequent method of delivery. This is due to the nature of coaching where you need to build rapport instantly. 62% also undertake sessions by telephone, whilst 43% offer Skype sessions. In contrast, just 16% offer email sessions, whilst 5% detailed other media. >>> Variable Hours Spent Coaching per Week: Around 30% of coaches are spending in excess of 10 hours a week coaching. >>> Session Charging: Clients are most commonly charged for a block of sessions (37%) a finding consistent with a typical 3-6 month programme identified in the HDA survey, and indicating a real ability to secure a regular income source. In contrast, some coaches either charge per session (25%) or don t charge (24%). Those in the latter group tend to be the most inexperienced coaches who are over four times as likely NOT to charge as the most experienced coaches. >>> Higher Earnings with Experience: There is a strong positive correlation between the level of experience a coach has and their annual income. Annual income is also strongly connected to the hours worked and whether a coach uses additional revenue streams. >>> Salary Based on Hours Worked: 64% of coaches surveyed work 9 hours or less per week on coaching, of which 44% earn up to 10k. This suggests that coaching is used as a secondary income to boost household income. To strengthen this further, 54% of respondents earning up to 50k from their coaching services are working between 10-19 hours per week, which is still within the remit of normal part-time working hours. Those working full time (30-39 hours per week) have stated that they earn between 50 75k. They also make up 45% of the respondents. >>> A Number of Opportunities to Supplement Income with Additional Revenue Streams*: Many coaches are utilising workshops (78%) and speaking at events (55%) as additional revenue streams on top of their coaching earnings. (See Figure 7). The Coaching Academy www.the-coaching-academy.com info@the-coaching-academy.com 0208 4399 440 6 78% Workshop Event speaking e -learning packages Selling books Selling DVDs O ther Additional Revenue Streams Used by Coaches Figure 7 55% 20% 16% 7% 32% * Respondents were able to select as many answers as applicable
An increase in what coaches charge... A number of other streams include >>> teaching, consultancy, Coaching teleseminars, Experience: writing and live training. In overall terms, The results positively suggest that a significant percentage (40%) of coaches are new to the market, the more experienced the coach, the more with they are less pursuing than two additional years of revenue coaching experience. This indicates that the profession, in attracting a significant streams - the proportion most experienced of newcomers, coaches is seen as being very much worthy of investment in challenging economic make particular times. use 25% of speaking had 3-5 at years events. of coaching experience, 18% had 6-9 years of experience, whilst fewer (just 17%) had more than ten years experience. (See Figure 3). A 2010 HDA survey of organisations using executive coaches reports that the vast majority are looking for experienced coaches - in addition to value for money - in their coaching provider. 40% 25% 18% 17% Years of Coaching Experience Changes in Coaching Charges 0-2 yrs 3-5 yrs 6-9yrs 10+ yrs >>> A Highly Qualified Profession: >>> Current Session Rates which The Increase vast majority with Experience: of coaches (98%) A wide hold variety academic of session rates are being charged qualifications; by coaches with with a split 53% of 46% holding charging up to a 75 Bachelors per session, degree and a and/or slightly a higher percentage Master s (54%) charging degree. more (See than Figure 75. Accompanying 4). the 80% Around of coaches successfully utilise additional revenue streams to supplement their earnings. Over 50% of coaches have increased their charges 16% 16% 8% 11% I ncreased 1-10% I ncreased 11-30% I ncreased 31-50% I ncreased 50% + Figure 8 3% 53% 53% aforementioned higher earnings of more experienced coaches is a higher session rate 30% of coaches with more than 10 years of experience charge more than 200 per session, compared to just 4-13% of less experienced coaches. 46% Decreased Stayed the same 12% 7% 40% 5% 5% 28% 9% Degree GCSE/O Level A/AS Level M asters Degree Current S ession R ates 12% 17% >>> A Substantial Number of Coaches Charging More for Sessions: Over 50% of coaches say that the amount they charge for coaching has increased since they began. This increase has been in the 1-30% region. (See Figure 8). 26% 20% NVQ PhD GNVQ None 3% 2% 2% 25-50 51-75 76-100 101-150 151-200 200-300 300+ Full time role Academic Qualifications Figure 9 * Respondents were able to select as many answers as applicable 7
Increasing clients and the use of networking and referrals... >>> Noticeable Client Growth: 45% of coaches report a steady maintenance of clients within the last twelve months. However, a further 40% say that their client base has increased (slightly more evident among male than female coaches). In contrast, just 14% report a decrease. These figures compare with a recent survey undertaken by the CIPD which reported that 84% of coaches are undertaking an increasing amount of coaching in the last two years. This may well continue in a climate of recession in which arguably coaching is viewed as more valuable than ever in the drive for cost effectiveness and business development within the challenging context of recruitment freezes. >>> Life Coaching as a Key Growth Area: Over 50% of coaches report a focus on life coaching as a means of growing their own business. This aligns well with what the Coaching and Mentoring Network describe as an increase in individuals taking responsibility for their own personal and professional development. For 37%, corporate coaching is the main focus (again more evident among males than females); whilst 28% are focusing on small businesses and 12% on youth impact coaching. 40% of coaches positively report an increased number of clients Networking is key >>> Tried and Tested Marketing Methods*: 85% of coaches are actively using marketing to promote their business, with networking (72%) and referrals (71%) emerging as the top two marketing methods. Networking 72% Workshops 32% Referrals 71% Articles 26% Social media 36% >>> A Good Number of Recommended Online Coaching Resources: Just over one third (37%) of coaches recommend useful and valuable online coaching resources, with a clear focus on The Coaching Academy. The Coaching Academy Virtual seminars DISC profiling seminars LinkedIn European Mentoring & Coaching Council International Coach Federation Association for Coaching The Coaching Academy www.the-coaching-academy.com info@the-coaching-academy.com 0208 4399 440 8 * Respondents were able to select as many answers as applicable
Concluding the research... In concluding this research, it is worth initially highlighting its value in terms of currency and coverage, combined with the candour with which over 760 coaches responded. The findings are both interesting and educational, providing some useful pointers to the collective composition of the coaching profession, its qualifications, skills, application, motivations and numerous opportunities. What we know is that this is clearly a profession which attracts more females than males, with a ratio of around 2:1 females to every male. It clusters around the 35-49 age group, with a significant proportion of coaches also in the 50-64 age range. What is evident is that this is not a profession in which a high proportion outside of these age ranges operate, with the 35-49 year old female emerging as the archetypal coach. Within this 35+ age profile, many coaches are new to the profession, suggesting that this is an area in which many are choosing to invest in. There would appear to be a predominance of coaches from the South East of England. However, this may be influenced by the location of The Coaching Academy itself, and the survey invitation to its members and contacts. It is perhaps unsurprising that many coaches are highly qualified with over half having attained a degree and/or master s degree. Just under twothirds of coaches surveyed have a formal coaching qualification, whilst 70% have attended a coaching course themselves or received coaching training within the last year. A similar percentage have their own coach or supervisor to aid their development. 40% are a member of a coaching organisation. This level of commitment and investment in coaching also suggests perceptions of a real value to the profession, and one which can successfully translate into a sustainable business opportunity. This business opportunity often focuses on life coaching, as a natural result of the main area of expertise both held by coaches and pursued as a means of growing their typically full or part time business. Linked to this is a desire to help others recognise their potential emphasising a real aim to encourage and help others achieve, and dismantle and overcome obstacles. This is clearly aligned to the recognition that coaching is a key factor in enabling individuals to improve performance, both personally and professionally. In the delivery of coaching, face to face contact is undoubtedly most frequently utilised, though it is interesting to observe what would appear to be a healthy percentage of coaches offering coaching via the telephone (62%) and via Skype (43%). Skype would thus appear to be emerging as a real opportunity for diversifying the delivery of coaching and increasing flexibility and geographical reach to clients. Coaching would characteristically appear to have the potential to net significant earnings particularly when accompanied by experience and supplemented by additional revenue streams including workshops and speaking at events. There is a positive correlation between experienced coaches who tend to charge more, earn more, and pursue more additional revenue streams than their less experienced colleagues. The more experienced coach also tends to have a greater focus on corporate coaching, within a full time business role, and underpinned with formal coaching qualifications. Interestingly, in pursuit of clients, many marketing methods are successfully utilised by all coaches, with networking and referrals at the top of the list of preferred strategies. These would appear to be successful in maintaining, or indeed increasing client bases, with a key finding that 40% of coaches report an increase in their client base over the last year. And this is despite session costs typically rising. In the context of increasing clients, many coaches point to and recommend a number of valuable online coaching resources. These are resources which can undoubtedly provide assistance and direction, ultimately boosting business growth and quality. >>> References... The Coaching Climate - CIPD, September 2011 Executive Coaching Survey Results - HDA, 2010 The Coaching and Mentoring Network 9
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