Coaching and HR

The Coaching Crowd® Podcast with Jo Wheatley & Zoe Hawkins

FREE ACCESS to Introduction to Group and Team Coaching – Group & Team Coaching: https://igcompany.co.uk/GTC

Have you ever wondered if coaching could be the missing piece to thriving and not just surviving in your HR role?

In this episode we take a heartfelt look back at our own HR roots and how those experiences eventually led us to embrace coaching not just as a skill, but as a calling.

Back when we were in HR, we wore every hat going. One minute we were leading disciplinary meetings, the next we were guiding people through career development plans, followed by workforce planning and trying to boost team morale, all while being the go-to for engagement and wellbeing. Sound familiar?

We talk about how HR professionals are often expected to magically facilitate group dynamics or support complex team conversations, not because they've been trained to do so, but because they're "good with people." And while those talents are real, the demand can feel overwhelming without the right tools.

That’s where coaching started to show up in our world, quietly, in feedback calls, tricky line manager conversations, or wellbeing chats that left us emotionally drained. We didn’t know it yet, but we were already coaching, we just didn’t have the language or training for it.

The emotional demands of HR can be enormous especially when you're holding space for others while secretly needing someone to hold space for you. When we trained as coaches, not only did it sharpen our skillset, it also gave us community, clarity, and confidence.

Coaching also helps you step back and de-personalise what can feel like daily emotional battles in HR. It rounds your edges, helps you reflect, and puts your professional growth into perspective.

And sometimes, coaching isn’t just an enhancement, it’s a doorway. A path out of corporate life into consultancy, freedom, creativity and impact. That was our journey, and maybe, just maybe, it could be yours too.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 — Our personal journey from HR to coaching
• 01:50 — The unrealistic expectations placed on HR professionals
• 03:15 — The hidden coaching already embedded in HR roles
• 04:40 — Coaching skills HR people already have (and can enhance)
• 07:24 — Holding space for others when you're depleted
• 11:06 — Why training in coaching helps you lead better in HR
• 14:23 — Depersonalising the emotional weight of HR
• 20:00 — The creative and freeing side of coaching careers

Key Lessons Learned:

1. HR professionals are natural coaches; they just don’t always realise it.
2. Coaching enhances confidence, resilience, and relational skills in emotionally intense roles.
3. Holding space for others is valuable; but you must also be held.
4. Developing coaching skills isn’t just for coaches, it benefits every HR decision and conversation.
5. Personal development and professional growth go hand-in-hand in HR.
6. Coaching can be both a career evolution and an exit strategy.

Keywords:

Coaching for HR professionals, HR coaching skills, Career change from HR to coaching, How to become a coach from HR, Building a coaching culture in organisations, Emotional intelligence in HR, Leadership development HR, Group and team coaching, Neurodiversity and inclusive coaching, Personal development for HR teams,

Links:

• Free Intro Lesson – Group & Team Coaching: https://igcompany.co.uk/GTC
• All coaching programmes mentioned (Emotions Coaching, Neurodivergent Inclusive Coaching, CPD, Foundations to Masters): https://igcompany.co.uk