Coaching needs effective measurement

Employers need to do more formal performance management for coaching arrangements they put in place, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has warned.

The trade body found in its Learning and Development survey that 71 per cent of businesses were using coaching to train employees.

While 72 per cent of managers said that they found it effective, only 8 per cent were formally measuring its effects.

John McGurk of the CIPD told People Management magazine that identifying best practice could be difficult "in light of the current emphasis on anecdotal, rather than 'hard' measures".

Nevertheless, the interest in coaching was found to have increased in the past year, with the numbers of employers providing it rising from 63 per cent.

Mr McGurk described it as a "win-win solution to workforce development", with employees gaining as well as business productivity improving.

The full survey has yet to be released, and will be published on April 18.