Hiring for a coaching role requires finding a candidate that can take direction, but also has the ability to think independently and offer creative solutions. While there is no single trait that ensures a great coach, coachability is a key quality that is essential for any successful coach. Coachability is the ability to receive direction, feedback, and new ideas, and be able to adjust and apply them to their work. To identify coachability in a candidate, it’s important to ask the right questions during the interview process. In this blog post, we will discuss the two best interview questions to determine coachability in a potential hire, and how to interpret the answers.
- Tell me about a time you learned a new skill from a colleague. …
- Describe a time when you made a mistake at work and had to tell someone about it. …
- Think about the last time you required assistance at work.
Hiring for Attitude: Beginning the Coachability Question
If they say yes, it’s great and you could ask them, “Is this what you wanted me to think about you?” If the answer was “no,” the next question might be, “Assuming what you think I’m thinking is true, what can you do or say now to change that perception?”
Using this data, the coach and client jointly develop a plan with specific objectives to direct their coaching relationship. The plan typically includes one or two objectives determined by the employee’s supervisor if an organization hired the coach to help a high potential employee develop.
To enable an open and honest examination of what might be impeding the client’s ability to achieve their goals, coaching should be built on confidentiality and trust. Typically, coaching starts with a series of assessments to help the client reflect on themselves and get feedback from others on things like their communication style, a limiting mindset, or perhaps where they are most and least effective.
As Whitmore suggests, the foundation of coaching is the conviction that each client already possesses the capacity to realize their potential. The coach’s job is to help the client identify areas that need improvement and suggest tactics to increase effectiveness.
People frequently ask me if working with a coach will help them launch their professional success or change their course. Despite the numerous advantages coaching provides, for me there isn’t a simple, quick answer. This decision is best made in a thoughtful, purposeful way.
How many of these eight questions were you able to answer emphatically “yes” to, and how many made you feel uncomfortable – or excited?
7 problems that Sales Managers face when hiring someone that isn’t coachable?
How to Hire Coachable Employees
Let me start by saying that you shouldn’t always rely on knowledge, experience, or skill.
In their efforts to contribute by bringing what they already have to the team, candidates who have reached certain levels in these areas might succeed once or even more than once. However, they won’t continue to succeed—achieving new, greater career objectives and delivering the right outcomes for your business—unless they keep getting better.
Coachability is the only behavior and defining quality of serial winners, those who are most likely to continue to contribute in a workplace that is constantly changing.
Here are three ways to identify candidates who are coachable during an interview.
FAQ
How do you assess Coachability?
- Ask interview questions that assess a candidate’s ability to self-diagnose.
- Role-play a customer conversation, then offer feedback. …
- Give candidates an opportunity for self-reflection.
How do you determine if a candidate is coachable?
- They’re Growth-Oriented. …
- They’re Willing to Be Vulnerable. …
- They Are Willing to Try New Things. …
- They’re Open to Change. …
- They’re Eager to Learn. …
- They’re Open-Minded in the Face of Feedback. …
- They Are Action-Oriented.
What are good interview questions to ask a coach?
- Why did you want to become a coach? …
- What does a typical practice for your teams look like?
- What are your core values as a coach? …
- How do you view the relationship between academics and athletics? .
- How will you develop community support for the team?
What are the most effective interview questions?
- How did you hear about the role? …
- What do you know about the company? …
- Why did you apply? …
- What are your key professional strengths? …
- Why should we hire you? …
- Do you have any questions for us? …
- What’s your definition of hard work? …
- Why are you leaving your current job?
