The International Coach Federation (ICF) has recently shared the findings from its latest research study which benchmarks global awareness of professional coaching for the first time.

ICF commissioned PwC’s International Survey Unit (ISU) in 2010 to conduct the Global Consumer Awareness Study which surveyed 15,000 individuals, ages 25 and up, from 20 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America.

Here are top findings from the Global Consumer Awareness Study:

How aware are people of professional coaching?

• More than half of all respondents (51 percent) were generally aware of coaching. This includes those who indicated they were either “very aware” (12 percent) or “somewhat aware” (39 percent). General awareness varied by country from a high of 92 percent in South Africa to a low of 20 percent in Germany.
• When probed, nearly half (49 percent) of all respondents who indicated they were unaware of coaching, did in fact have an understanding of professional coaching.

Why are people involved in a coaching relationship?

• More than two-fifths (42.6 percent) of respondents who had experienced coaching chose “optimize individual and/or team performance” as their motivation for being coached. This reason ranked highest followed by “expand professional career opportunities” (38.8 percent) and “improve business management strategies” (36.1 percent). “Increase self-esteem/self-confidence” and “manage work/life balance” rated fourth and fifth to round out the top five motivation areas.

How satisfied are those who have been coached?

• Satisfaction levels are very high (83 percent) among those who have been involved in a coaching relationship, 36 percent of which were “very satisfied.” The level of satisfaction rises even higher to 92 percent among those with an ICF Credentialed coach, 55 percent of which were “very satisfied.”

How likely are people to recommend coaching to others?

• As a whole, those who have been coached gave a mean advocacy score of 7.5 (out of 10) in terms of their likeliness to recommend coaching. Overall, 31 percent of those who had been coached indicated that they were “extremely likely” to recommend. Advocacy was even higher for those who had an ICF Credentialed coach—45 percent were “extremely likely to advocate coaching to others.

How important are certifications/credentials for coaches?

• 84 percent of respondents who had been in a coaching relationship considered certification/credentials important. Even among those who indicated they were not aware of the coaching profession or the ICF, 83 percent considered credentials or certifications important for professional coaches to have.
• More than two in five respondents (44 percent) knew if their coach had a certification/credential.

Download the free Executive Summary from the right column