What is a professional coach?
Professional coaching focuses on the workplace context: onboarding, team management, leadership, priority-setting, communication, and decision-making. It serves managers, senior professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs who want to increase their effectiveness and strengthen their presence. A professional coach is neither a consultant (who provides technical recommendations) nor a mentor (who shares their own career expertise): they help you draw on your own resources and sharpen your choices. Research from the International Coaching Federation and firms such as PwC and Manchester documents significant ROI from workplace coaching, particularly on engagement and management performance.
Why work with a professional coach?
- Nail a high-stakes new role
- Strengthen your leadership presence and style
- Improve your team's overall performance
- Gain clarity on complex decisions
Approaches and methods
Professional coaching typically involves formalised, often tripartite objectives (coachee, coach, and employer), an initial diagnostic, and regular sessions over several months. Tools range from 360° feedback and analysis of real work situations to role-play and scenario work. Many coaches hold ICF or EMCC certification.
How much does a professional coach cost?
A one-on-one professional coaching session commonly costs between €100 and €250 per hour; executive-level coaching can go higher. When employer-funded, it usually takes the form of a 6-to-10-session package. A free discovery session is available on EraCoach.
How does EraCoach ensure quality?
Every coach on EraCoach is vetted by hand by our team: identity, certifications, background and code of ethics. Reviews are left only by clients who completed a session.
Frequently asked questions
- Yes, this is common. Onboarding or leadership coaching is often included in a company's training and development budget, sometimes via a tripartite agreement between you, the coach, and your employer.
- A consultant brings expertise and makes recommendations on a specific topic. A professional coach doesn't hand you solutions: they help you clarify your challenges and find your own levers for action.
- The standard format is 6 to 10 sessions over 3 to 6 months, with a defined goal at the start and a review at the end.
- Yes, video has become the norm for professional coaching and gives you access to the best coaches without geographic constraints. In-person is still possible depending on the coach.
- Goals are defined at the start (leadership presence, decision-making, team management…) and assessed at the end. Extensive research (ICF, PwC) shows a measurable positive impact on performance and engagement.
