FAQ

Frequently asked questions by coachees are:

Basics

What is the true meaning of coaching?

Coaching is a temporary, professional support of a personal change process, matching your individual needs. Coaching always has a clear goal, is based on the professional context and is meant to develop learning and performance processes. Coaching is solution and future oriented, aligned with your available resources and encourages self-reflection and perception. Essentially, coaching is an aid towards self-help.

I never worked with a coach before. What are typical reasons to use a coach and how do I know whether coaching helps me in my situation?

Coaching is all about you taking initiative. This means that it’s up to you to determine whether a coaching session is of use to you. Of course you can change this estimate. It’s never wrong to be interested in coaching or to request a session – after which it may turn out that another form of support is more useful. In this case, the coaching process will be cancelled, all in agreement with your direct manager, HR department or the coach him- or herself.

Typical reasons to book a coaching session are e.g. a change of roles, different leadership challenges, difficult changes, a wish for personal development, career questions, intense stress situations and many more. Hence a situation, in which you want to talk to an objective and neutral sparring partner, 100% confidential and at par, in order to retrieve your balance, ensure sustainability in your leadership or just discuss important topics that are on your mind.

WHAT IS ONLINE/REMOTE COACHING?

Remote coaching has one big advantage - it is not bound to any specific location and time. You are flexible to take a coaching session from everywhere! You and your coach agree on suitable intervals, time of day and the medium that you will use for the coaching sessions. According to your personality, you might prefer coaching via telephone; or you might prefer a video conference if you are rather the visual type and prefer to see the facial expression and gestures of the person you are talking to. You and your coach can also arrange a day of the week and time of day that best suits your needs.

What is the difference between coaching and consulting or training?

Professional consulting means that the consultant provides input. Training is supposed to impart knowledge and establish skills. A coach does not explain anything, but leads a process, in order to strengthen or uncover existing resources.

What is the difference between coaching and therapy?

Coaching is for ‘healthy’ people only and processes topics and challenges that occur in the professional context. A coach always works future-oriented and supports the coachee in asking him- or herself “What can I do in order to feel better in the future and accomplish my goals?”.Therapies, on the other hand, are addressed at people with a psychological condition. The reason for such arise from either private or professional difficulties. Therapy often works with the past and investigates causes.Therapy is meant to evaluate: “Why do I feel bad in this situation?” A good coach can determine whether therapy is necessary, and will refer to a therapist if needed.

Who defines the topics that will be discussed in my coaching?

You alone make that decision — it’s your coaching and it’s all about your topics! Whether you are facing a challenging career change or are looking for a sparring partner for discussions at eye level — you determine the topic that you want to work on.

Which information can I provide in order to find a matching coach?

The essential factor for effective coaching is the right chemistry between you and your coach. This is why we provide you with the opportunity to indicate in advance which qualities you value in a coach, and even the age and sex that you would prefer.

Will I know which medium(telephone, video conference etc.) a coach offers before choosing one? Who will determine the medium for the coaching?

In general, we only admit coaches to our pool that offer all common types of (video) telephony. You and your coach will choose the medium that is most agreeable to you. Also, you don’t have to stick to one medium, but you can change from one coaching session to the next.

Process & procedure

What happens after I submitted my request through the platform?

After submitting your request, it will bedirectly forwarded to your HR department. Your HR department will most likelyget in touch to clarify possible questions (e.g. whether you’ve already aligned the request with your manager) and confirm your request afterwards. From this moment on, you can expect a proposal of three appropriate coaches from us within 48 hours.

What happens, if I don’t like any of the coaches proposed by Haufe Coaching?

Our proposal contains three coaches who have completed a four-step selection process and match the highest quality criteria on the market. We only suggest coaches that are very well versed in your stated topic (your ‘main reason’, such as conflict, leadership or stress) and fulfil all other demanded requests. Lastly, we try to select three preferably heterogenic coaching profiles within these requirements in order to give you the chance to choose between different types. Should there still be no one to match your wishes, feel free to contact us and we will jointly find a solution.

I have decided on a coach – what now?

The coach will get in contact with you in order to seta date for the first session.

In which intervals will the coaching sessions take place and how long will they take?

Once you have selected a coach, a previously allocated amount of time (according to the package booked, e.g. 5 coaching sessions at 60 minutes each) will be released. Of course, this does not mean that all coaching processes will take this long. Sometimes 3x 1 hour is enough to deal with all issues, other times more than 5 hours are needed.

The duration of sessions and intervals depend on your topic, your time availability and the priority – and on your capacity to productively deal with the issues discussed from one session to the next. Very few sessions will take under an hour – the first session often takes a little longer than that. In many coaching processes, several weeks may elapse between one session and the next. In case you realise after the end of the coaching that there are topics left that you would like to work on, you can always book another coaching with the same or another coach. The coach will contact you in order to arrange a time and date for the first session.

What if the connection breaks down during a coaching session? Will this time be deducted from my allocated coaching time?

Connection problems occur only very occasionally. Good preparation is essential: please agree on the medium that you will be using in advance. Make sure that you log in on time, that your signal and/or WiFi is strong, etc.; for example, avoid calling from a train or using the connection of unstable networks. Likewise, your coach will make sure that his/her signal is strong and interference-free. In general, we do deduct the time of interruptions caused by your connection from your allocated time. However, it goes without saying that the time of interruptions caused by the connection of the coach will not be deducted from your allocated time. In principle, just talk to your coach — 5 minutes shouldn’t provoke any argument, whereas a half-hour delay for lack of a telephone is quite another matter.

Who can I contact in case of problems with my coach or the remote sessions?

You can contact the Haufe Coaching team at support.coaching@haufe.com during our office hours and we will try to help you as quickly as possible to answer all questions and resolve problems concerning the coaching you booked with us.

What if the remote coaching session makes me realise that this is not the right form of coaching for me?

In principle, there is no substantial difference between remote coaching and on-site coaching, remote coaching just makes the process much more flexible considering time and location. Still, should you realise that you can’t get used to this form of coaching at all, don’t hesitate to contact us immediately and we will certainly find a solution for you.

I’ve received an invitation to provide feedback regarding the coaching process. What happens with my feedback towards Haufe Coaching?

At the end of a coaching process (which means after 300 minutes of coaching), we invite you to provide feedback on your sessions, resp. your coach. We use this feedback to collect as much information as possible about the listed coaches in order to successfully match them also in the future. This means that you help us to ensure that coaching processes, mediated by Haufe Coaching, meet highest quality standards in the long run. Besides, your company will be informed about how satisfied you were with the service and how much you have benefited from the sessions from your point of view.

What happens in case I’d like to continue the cooperation with the coach after the process has been completed?

You might realise that you need more time in order to deal with your defined objectives and issues in a more in-depth manner. This might particularly be the case in situations of major change, when taking over new management roles, etc. In that case, you simply submit an enquiry for a follow-up coaching at the end of the first coaching process.

What are the costs if I book Individual Coaching?

We offer packages for different management levels, varying in costs. One coaching package varies including between 3 - 10 coaching sessions at 60 minutes each, although the allocated time can be used in longer or shorter individual sessions. Details of the costs you'll find here.
You will receive the invoice upon completion of your booking. In case you decide to cancel or discontinue the coaching you booked, please refer to our cancellation conditions in our Terms and Conditions for further information.

What are the costs for CoachingBusiness Solutions?

If your company decided to have Haufe Coaching handle all coachings and you request your coaching via the link provided by the company (to be found e.g. on the Intranet or your learning platform), all costs are laid down in a framework contract and invoices are generated at the end of each month, in line with your company’s processes.

Do I have to take all coaching sessions in quick succession?

This is your coaching and it’s all about what’s best for you — you choose those intervals best serving your purpose.

How much time do I have to use the coaching I booked?

As laid down in our Terms and Conditions, individuals can make use of the coaching package they booked within 12 months from the date of order. In case of business solutions, please refer to the framework contract.

Quality

How does Haufe Coaching ensure, that the Platform only shows top coaches that are experts in their respective field?

Our listed coaches pass a multistage selection process before they are allowed to create a profile on our platform. After screening their resume and a first introduction (usually done via phone),during which the fulfilment of the basic requirements is being checked, the coach passes an online assessment. Afterwards, the coach and Haufe Coaching meet again for a personal interview, in which methodical expertise, as well as presence, personality and values (and many more) are questioned. Last but not least, we retrieve references from customers or clients who have already been supported by the coach.

Our criteria are very ambitious. Besides many years of experience in coaching and demonstrable accomplished coaching units, we ensure that a coach continues to develop and has e.g. concrete experience as a leader when wanting to act asa leadership coach.

Do I have to choose a coach ‘only’ based on her/his profile or can I also have a first talk before making my decision?

You basically make the decision based on the coach’s profile. The first meeting is already a ‘real’ coaching session, not just a first talk. Our experience shows that this is the most efficient way to quickly achieve a positive change and real results. In case the chemistry is not right – or there are any other reasons for which you decide that the coach is not the right one for you – please contact us and we will find you another coach.

What happens if I am not satisfied and want to change coach during the coaching process?

You can contact us anytime to talk about your concerns. We will do everything we can to support you and initiate the necessary steps. Of course, you have the possibility to cancel the coaching process at all times – since only if both sides believe in the usefulness of the cooperation, the process has a real chance to succeed.

Confidentiality & data protection

Who can see my coaching request?

If you submit a coaching request through Haufe Coaching, only you, the part of Haufe Coaching team that is responsible for the matching process and the contacted coaches can see the request. Only the main reason of your request, as well as your additional comments, are made visible. Once you have decided on a coach and have confirmed the proposal, your coach can see your contact details.

Who gets insight in the content of my coaching sessions?

No one besides you and the chosen coach gets insights in the content of your coaching sessions! Between you and your coach, there is a guarantee of 100% confidentiality.

Organisation & contact

Do I have real contact persons at Haufe Coaching, or is Haufe Coaching ‘merely’ a platform?

Of course you have real contact persons at Haufe Coaching, Feel free to contact us at any time – no matter if you have questions about your coaching request or want to talk about your ongoing coaching; or of course, if you have technical issues: Contact us via support.coaching@haufe.com – we are there for you and ready to support however we can.

Does Haufe Advisory only broker coaches or also trainers, mediators, etc.?

Haufe Coaching solely focuses on the matching of coaches. Haufe Consulting, the conveyance of business consultants, is another product offered by Haufe Advisory, independently from coaching management. You can find more information on our website atconsulting.haufe.com. If you are looking for trainers, have a look at the website of HaufeAcademy: https://www.haufe-akademie.de/

Frequently asked questions by coaches are:

BASICS

The company, at which I’m already listed as a coach, has contacted me and stated that HaufeCoaching is their new outsourcing partner for their coaching management and that all future coaching requests will be handled by Haufe Coaching. What does this mean?

Managing multiple small-scale coaching requests is a tedious process, especially for larger companies. Leaders and experts in the organisation send coaching requests to HR; HR typically has a list stored with contact information of coaches. They identify a suitable person and contact this person by email. All communication is sent through email: forms, CVs, invoices. This means a lot of administrative hassle, as the company has multiple service providers as well as information that is not centralised nor structured. Most of the time, there is also no on going quality assurance or a structured feedback process.

As an outsourcing partner, Haufe Coaching takes over all coaching requests. This means that a leader or expert within the organisation can request a coaching session via online form; Haufe Coaching will recommend three coaches within 48 hours. The client decides on a coach and the process starts. HR can view the status of all requests at any time via dashboard.

Our goal is to have the client, the coach and HR concentrate on the essentials: the content. The administrative process should be handled in a modern, efficient and digital manner.

When joining the Haufe coach pool, youre not only listed as coach for the original organisation that prompted you to apply – youre also listed for all other organisations working with Haufe Coaching.

Do I need special software or apps to receive coaching requests via Haufe Coaching?

No – the only thing you need is a computer and an internet connection. After youve completed our selection process, you can log in and apply for the coaching requests that were sent to you.

Admission process

What are the requirements to become part of the Haufe coach community?

To be able to create a profile on the platform and enjoy the benefits of the Haufe coach community, you will need to go through a selection process.

One of the requirements is a ‘certification with at least 110 study hours’ – that doesn’t sound too much. Most certified coaches have a lot more experience – why is your limit this low?

We share this thought – almost. Because there are always exceptions. For example, the top executive who has worked at board level and gained very valuable experience – and then decided to become an executive coach, doing a short coach training. Sometimes, such profiles are just the ones our clients are looking for and we would like to empower that. We, of course, need to be convinced of methodical competence, regular training, and highest integrity. On average, the coaches listed with Haufe Coaching have a significantly higher amount of training hours.

Why do you focus on business coaching only and do not offer life coaching or social counseling?

Our clients are large organisations. The coaching sessions they are willing to support (and pay) should always have a connection to their business. As our coachees are mainly working as leaders or top experts within these organisations and therefore have high demands based on their complex work realities (e.g. matrix structures, multitasking, work overload), we require our listed coaches to have a pronounced understanding of business contexts.

I have many years of experience and completed many top trainings. I think my resume speaks for itself. Why is it necessary to go through the online registration to be listed as a coach with Haufe Coaching?

It is said that a selection process gains quality with the amount of different perspectives one assumes. During our face-to-face interview, we will get to know you personally, but the references we receive and the self-assessment you do give us even more input to process. The online procedure we use has been tested for decades and gives us valuable insight into personal behavioral preferences, values, motives and personal interests. This provides us with a full image of you as a person and will also help us match coachees and coaches in an optimal way.

I am a managing director of a small company with some employees – can we register ourselves asa company?

Haufe Coaching enables organisations that have regular coaching needs to access a selective pool of proven, excellent coaches. This is why Haufe Coaching only accepts applications from individuals - not coaching companies. However, it is possible for many coaches from one company to be listed with Haufe Coaching -they just all have to go through the same selection process.

Advantages of Haufe Coaching

What’s in it for me to part of the Haufe coach community?

Haufe Coaching represents a strong acquisition channel for exciting coaching inquiries and gives you the opportunity to be listed as a coach with new organisations. If you have already been listed with an organisation and now have to re-qualify, this may seem tedious at first. However, you will see that our processes are simple and that being matched to a coachee will be smoother than it has ever been. You'll also be listed for other organisations Haufe Coaching works with.

The Haufe coach community is a network of highly competent and experienced (business consultants and) coaches.As part of this community, you'll have the chance to regularly exchange knowledge with like-minded people. We guarantee structured feedback after each completed coaching process. Last but not least; with Haufe Coaching, you no longer have to worry about invoicing, as this is fully automated.

Process

How many coaching requests per year can I expect?

Unfortunately, this is difficult to say at the moment... and it will depend on how many organisations will use our company solution, i.e. outsourcing their entire coaching management. We are currently talking with a large number of organisations about this and expect demand to be high.

What is the extent of a typical coaching request?

Most companies don’t release one single coaching session at a time; they usually allocate a certain amount of hours/minutes as a standard procedure. However, every company has individual rules. It is up and the coachee to decide how (period of time and intensity) you wish to“consume” the allocated amount of time.

How do the steps of a new coaching request look like?

The coachee creates a request via our tool. This is matched with the profiles of our listed coaches. Specialisation or language play a role here. The eligible coaches will then receive an email with information about the new request and are able to apply or express their interest and add a few words to their reply. The coachee receives all applications and decides on a coach, based on the application and online profile. You will then either receive a confirmation email and get in touch with your coachee to make an appointment – or a rejection email.

During the entire process, Haufe Coaching is by your side, ready to answer questions or support where necessary.

Pricing & invoicing

How does pricing work? Can I ask what I want or does Haufe Coaching provide certain criteria?

The fees (hourly rates or total budget for a coaching process) and/or the number of minutes released per coaching process vary from company to company; they are communicated in each coaching enquiry that you receive. It is up to you to decide whether these fees match your expectation and whether you want to submit your application to this enquiry.

Do I issue the invoice to the client?

No. As it is laid down in the Framework Agreement that you confirm at the beginning of your cooperation with Haufe Advisory GmbH, Haufe Advisory GmbH is your contracting partner — therefore you address your invoice to Haufe Advisory GmbH. This, however, is done at the touch of a button! You just need to go to our tool and enter the coaching sessions and number of minutes by the 3rd workday of the following month latest. Our tool will then automatically generate the invoice. On the same day, HaufeAdvisory GmbH issues a collective invoice to the client, covering all coaching sessions of all coaches. As soon as we have received the payment, we will split the amount and transfer the corresponding sums to you and the other coaches.

Which currency is used to charge coaching sessions if I am working outside the eurozone?

The invoice for a coaching session is always generated in EUR, even if the coach is working outside the eurozone.

What kind of support does Haufe Coaching provide in case clients pay late or not at all?

Haufe Coaching takes care of reminding clients regularly and handles all related expenses. In the case of a client not paying at all (e.g. due to bankruptcy),we cannot assume responsibility and will therefore also not be able to pay the coach - however, in this case we will stop working with the client.

Rights & obligations

Do I have to apply to every coaching request?

No – of course not. If a request is published, you decide whether you would like to apply or not.

Does Haufe Coaching have a competition clause?

No, we don't. Haufe Coaching does not require any exclusivity. Feel free to serve your existing clients outside of Haufe Coaching, register with other platforms, and do whatever you did before Haufe Coaching.

Confidentiality & Data Protection

How does Haufe Coaching use the data stored about me?

Find all the information regarding confidentiality & data protection in our privacy policy or rather in Item 14 of our Framework Contract Coaching.

Which obligations arise for me as a coach regarding the coachees on the subject of data protection?

As a coach, you are obliged to abide by the applicable data protection provisions under the European General Data Protection Regulation (if in Europe) or the applicable Data Protection Law of the country in which the coaching takes place. Find more information on this topic in Item 13 of our Framework Contract Coaching which you will have to accept prior to your registration.