HR coaches can help support and nurture the people leaders of tomorrow by providing actionable insights and personalised career development.
By Simon Kent
“HR professionals are often there for everyone else, ensuring members of staff receive the development they need,” says Amrit Sandhar, founder of workplace culture company & Evolve, “but rarely do they take the time to consider whether they could also benefit from a career coach.”
HR professionals work on many levels. As noted in this issue, the demand to produce and pursue a timely HR strategy is unquestionable; HR must be seen to be bringing value and ROI to their businesses and are also looked to for the implementation of mission-critical transformations and roll-outs. The department is also responsible for day-to-day issues of business life, the everyday work that keeps things ticking over. And ultimately, HR is there for people, serving the personal and unique demands of employees. Given this apparent requirement to be all things to all parts of the business, self development and even self-care for HR professionals sometimes takes a back seat. It is all too easy to see how HR leaders can become staid in their approach—or simply succumb to burnout.
Enter a coach, a mentor, or an HR career coach. These professionals can be HR’s own support system—experts who may not know the answers, but certainly know the questions to ask. “A good career coach will be someone who can help individuals understand themselves better, their strengths, and what they need from a role and their working environment to be successful,” says Sandhar, who makes a distinction between this and the usual business coach. “They’ll often be aware of trends in the marketplace, what would make someone a successful hire and be aware of the cultural differences of organisations in specific sectors, to successfully guide individuals to the best roles.”
“I wish there had been such a thing as HR coaches in my earlier career,” says Kirsty Baggs-Morgan, founder of Ethica HR, a coaching and mentoring services organisation, “but prior to the last five years or so, coaching was deemed to be the reserve of executives and C-suite.”
As Baggs-Morgan says, not only has this perception changed but today, there are now accredited coaches who are ex-HR professionals themselves specifically dedicated to helping HR professionals.
“For me, the biggest benefit of working with a coach is having someone who totally ‘gets it’ and who can help you to think about things from a different perspectives work through problems or obstacles and help you get clarity on things,” adds Baggs-Morgan. “It’s really important that you find someone you have good chemistry with, who you are going to feel comfortable opening up to about your challenges and concerns. Someone who you know will hold space for you in a safe environment and allow you to be yourself.”
Jennie Mead, partner at business consulting and services company GiANT London, offers similar advice for finding a mentor. “It’s crucial to look for someone who not only has the experience and expertise in your field but also embodies the values you hold and the qualities you aspire to develop,” she says.
Aside from the obvious communication skills, choose a mentor who demonstrates empathy, humility, and a genuine interest in your growth. It’s important that they have a proven track record of success and can provide actionable insights and constructive feedback.” – Jennie Mead, GiANT London
Dominic Monkhouse, CEO and founder of strategy and scale support business Monkhouse & Company, advises HR leaders to tap into personal recommendations from their networks as well as checking for relevant certifications and experience. “Investing in a career coach is crucial for HR professionals who want to not just navigate their careers, but truly want the tools and qualities to make a significant impact in their field,” he says.
Monkhouse asserts that a career coach can guide HR professionals forward by providing objective insights and nurturing their potential, helping them to become true leaders. “They help HR professionals navigate workplace dynamics, develop crucial soft skills, set clear career goals, and create actionable plans” he says.
Crucial to this is the ability for the coach to observe and understand what’s going on, rather than needing to be given extensive explanations and copious amounts of detail. Also, any good HR coach will remain connected to their sector, being constantly in touch with trends, opportunities, and challenges for the profession.
South Africa-based psychologist, author, consultant and researcher Joan Swart says HR coaching and mentoring isn’t just good for HR professionals; she believes it also benefits to the wider organisation. “Coaching and mentoring within the HR sphere serve as crucial mechanisms not only for personal development but also for enhancing departmental effectiveness,” she explains. “HR professionals, tasked with fostering growth and resolving conflicts within organisations, stand to benefit significantly from structured coaching and mentoring programs.”
According to Swart, the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of HR work—the need to deal with sudden occurrences at any levels in the business—necessitates a robust skill set, including emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and strategic thinking. “Coaching specifically helps HR professionals refine these skills through focused, personalised sessions with a coach who provides feedback and guidance tailored to the HR context,” she says. “This one-on-one approach enables HR practitioners to explore real-world challenges in a confidential setting, fostering growth without the pressure of immediate stakes.”
Coaching and mentoring for HR professionals is not always about personal growth but instead for helping with specific challenges individuals are facing at the time.
Monkhouse says feeling stuck, preparing for career transition, aiming to improve specific skills, and needing work-life balance support as good examples of times when this kind of support can be critical. These are times when the answer may not be clear, but when the solution is personal and requires reflection.
As such, this development resource doesn’t just help HR cope with the challenges it faces, but positively thrive, come what may.
The Differences Between Coach, Mentor, and Career Coach
Coach: An external person skilled at reflecting the individual’s performance and helping them to achieve their best. The coach may not have direct experience of the job/sector but has a range of techniques to help.
Mentor: Mentors tend to be older than the person they are helping. They are also more likely to be from the profession itself and therefore able to draw from their own experience to help their mentee.
Career Coach: As the name suggests, this coach will be dedicated to furthering their charge’s career. A general coach will help accomplish business tasks and perform their role better more generally.
