How to hire an executive coach

How to hire an executive coach, step by step

Here's a step-by-step executive coach hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an executive coach job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new executive coach
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The executive coach hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an executive coach to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an executive coach that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of executive coaches.

   Type of Executive Coach	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive Coach	Coaches teach amateur or professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. Scouts look for new players and evaluate their skills and likelihood for success at the college, amateur, or professional level... Show more	$14-38
   Student Athlete	A student-athlete competes in various sporting events to represent a school or institution. Most student-athletes are under scholarships and receive an allowance, either from the school or a particular organization... Show more	$12-37
   Scout	There are different types of scout based on the organization or workplace. There are sports scouts, talent scouts, and athletic scouts... Show more	$13-56

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Emotional Intelligence
   • C-Suite
   • Leadership Development Programs
   • Organization Development
   • Process Improvement
   • Business Strategy
   • Succession Planning
   • Executive Leadership
   • Healthcare
   • Individual Clients
   • Business Development
   • Human Resources
   • Professional Development
   • Strategic Plan

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
   • Establish and operates a company that specializes in providing executive coaching, leadership training and development to individuals and organizations.
   • Deliver structure feedback, coaching and action implementation programs that have resulted in multiple senior leadership promotions and best-fit organizational alignment.
   • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
   • Analyze and break down game tape for film sessions and individual recruiting videos using the HUDL program.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive coach job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An executive coach salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, executive coaches' average salary in wyoming is 65% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level executive coaches earn 63% less than senior-level executive coaches.
   • Certifications. An executive coach with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an executive coach's salary.

   Average executive coach salary

   $49,819yearly

   $23.95 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive coach salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing an executive coach job description

   An executive coach job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an executive coach job description:

   Executive coach job description example

   After startup and building your team of executives, you will lead monthly half-day Council meetings and then connect 1:1 for executive coaching. Quarterly you’ll attend our Advance Leadership Workshop, and annually facilitate a team retreat called Outbound. While independent, Growth Catalysts work together as a team of teams in your city to sharpen, challenge and inspire others.

   Acumen Is Your Partner

   • Investing together: We offer entrepreneurs the opportunity for lucrative recurring revenue potential (to clarify, this is not a salaried position).

   • You are investing in a business platform and economic engine that creates a rhythm of service, deep relationships, and engagement to “stay in the game.”

   • Team, Tools, and Resources: We come alongside you to help cultivate your strengths and relationships while providing the coaching and resources you need to build your business.

   Characteristics and Attributes

   The right individual would need to possess:

   • Former C-Level Executive

   • Looking to transition from success to significance where creating value and impact are important while experiencing an economic benefit.

   • "Sat in the Seat" as a leader driving growth & profitability

   • A significant and robust professional network

   • Be humble, hungry and smart (EQ not IQ)

   • Have a reasonably mature and strong Christian faith foundation – there are a lot of ways to do business and make decisions, we believe that our faith should guide them.

   Acumen. The word itself has multiple dimensions. Certainly, its meaning in the context of business is meaningful. Keen Insight; Shrewdness; Wisdom; Ingenuity.

   It’s Latin origin “to sharpen” is significant and a natural ty-in to one of our pillars from Proverbs 27:17 ‘As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.’

   Acumen is a place where people of faith come together not to judge, but to sharpen and ignite each other in their businesses, marriages, families, faith, and life.

   Acumen is An Engaging Community Of Christian CEOs, Owners, and Executives Who Want More - Personally And Professionally.

   Are you ready to mentor, coach, and raise up Owners and CEOs with your experience?

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find executive coaches for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your executive coach job on Zippia to find and recruit executive coach candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting executive coaches requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new executive coach

   Once you've decided on a perfect executive coach candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new executive coach. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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