What HR Leaders Should Look For in Energy-Focused Coaching

HR leaders should look for a clearly defined energy framework, a research-backed way to measure it, accredited training, credits that count for HR professionals, and practice people can apply at work. iPEC®’s Energy Leadership® and ICF Level 2 accredited Coach Training Program deliver on each one.

What to Look For

What to look for	Why it matters	How iPEC® delivers
A defined energy framework	“Energy” means little unless the program defines it and teaches it consistently	Energy Leadership® and the seven levels of energy
A way to measure change	You need before-and-after data to show the investment worked	The Energy Leadership Index®, given at the start and again as a follow-up
Research you can read	You should be able to see the evidence and who ran the studies	Seven research papers, including a 2025 ASHRM white paper on a healthcare organization that compared programs and chose iPEC® to train internal coaches
Recognized accreditation	Accreditation is outside proof that training meets a recognized standard	ICF Level 2 accredited, 160 ICF-accredited training hours
Credits for HR professionals	Your team can use the training toward its own recertification	67 SHRM PDCs and 70 HRCI hours
Live practice with feedback	People learn coaching by coaching	Three live 3-day modules, in person or virtual, plus weekly peer coaching
A fit with full-time work	Most participants will train while doing their jobs	7–9 months part-time, about 5 hours of coursework a week
A way to start small	A first step lets you test the fit before a larger commitment	Coaching Fundamentals: 3 days, 27 SHRM PDCs and 27 HRCI hours, and it counts toward the full program

iPEC® produces the most powerful coaches in the world, with 27+ years of coach training, 25,000+ graduates, and one of the first programs accredited by the ICF.

What the Research Shows

In a study of 184 business leaders, those with higher energy scores rated their own leadership skills higher, and their colleagues rated them higher too.
Among 920 U.S. clients in their first year of coaching, work satisfaction rose from 4.19 to 4.56 on a 6-point scale.
A 2025 white paper from the American Society for Health Care Risk Management describes a healthcare organization that reviewed research and compared programs, then chose iPEC® to train an internal group of coaches.

The first two studies were conducted or sponsored by iPEC®. Comparing approaches? See which leadership coaching methods improve team performance.

Questions to Ask Any Provider

How does your program define energy, and how is it taught?
How do you measure change, and when?
What research supports the approach, and who conducted it?
Is the training accredited, and at what level?
Which SHRM or HRCI credits does it earn?
How will participants apply this with their teams?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is energy-focused coaching?

Energy-focused coaching looks at the thoughts, beliefs and emotions behind how people lead and act, rather than only at goals and behavior. In iPEC®’s Energy Leadership® framework, that energy is described in seven levels and measured with the Energy Leadership Index® assessment.

Do energy-focused coaching programs earn HR credits?

It depends on the program, so ask before you enroll. iPEC®’s Coach Training Program earns 67 SHRM PDCs and 70 HRCI hours. Coaching Fundamentals on its own earns 27 of each.

How can HR measure the results?

Measure before and after. The Energy Leadership Index® can be given at the start of a coaching engagement and again as a follow-up. Pair those results with the measures your organization already tracks, such as engagement surveys.