Amplifying the Influence of “Next Gens”
The overall aim of the Budapest Metropolitan University (METU) is to provide a high level of education in various fields, including the social sciences. Its education is based on continuously renewing methods, which are supported by educators with international experiences, as well as innovative training in a research environment. As part of this aim, METU launched “Next Gens”—a social responsibility coaching program for Human Resources (HR) students—in collaboration with coach training schools in Hungary.
METU partnered with the ICF Hungary Chapter to bring this Next Gens program to fruition. The University believed that a coaching experience could assist students by creating clarity for expectations around employment and prepare them for the challenges and demands of the labor market.
The initiative was so successful that ICF Hungary has been recognized as the 2019 Gift of Coaching Single Initiative Winner by the ICF Foundation. The Gift of Coaching Awards program celebrates ICF Chapters with impactful pro bono coaching initiatives that make a difference in their communities and in the world. The Gift of Coaching Awards program represents the mission of the Foundation, intended to leverage the excellent work ICF Chapters are already doing to increase awareness of and better their communities through professional coaching.
Supporting the Next Generation of HR Leaders
The intent of the program was to provide personal coaching experiences that would build capacity for future generations of HR professionals. The Chapter focused on aligning with METU’s mission and vision by:
- Supporting graduate students with individual coaching as they begin their careers and make their integration into employer organizations.
- Making participants more aware of professional coaching by allowing them to experience it firsthand.
- Increasing the quality of HR professionals and indirectly shaping the Hungarian HR culture and professional coaching culture in the mid and long term.
Ensuring a quality experience was a top priority for the initiative. Coach selection was based on ICF Core Competencies and the ICF Code of Ethics. In total, 64 students worked with 42 coaches from ICF Hungary. Coachees included university students, alumni students and students nearly ready for coach qualification.
Coachees received preliminary education on the definition of coaching and what to expect from the process, which was especially useful since they will become HR professionals. The coachees left the experience with a better understanding of what coaching is, what it’s good for, how to choose a coach, and what the professional coaching process looks like.
Strengthening the Next Gen
The program’s impact was evaluated in the context of both the wider HR profession and the personal results for coachees. As a result of the program, more than 80% of coachees indicated that they believe coaching should be a part of every learning and development program for leaders, HR students and HR professionals.
More than 70% of the coachees experienced positive change in the areas of awareness, self-esteem, self-confidence, persistence and paying attention to relationships. Two participants even attributed receiving job opportunities as an effect of the coaching process. The uniqueness of this initiative is that it not only set future leaders up for success, but it also planted the seeds for coaching to have a greater reach in society.
METU concluded that the pro bono coaching experience with IFC Hungary functioned “in harmony with our mission, vision and values, and these are why we started [this program] with ICF Hungary. Based on the program results so far, we are going to continue this collaboration in the next three years with the same size/scope as we planned.”
You can learn more about about ICF Hungary’s initiative by watching this interview.
ICF Foundation
Established in 2004, the ICF Foundation (one of the International Coaching Federation’s six family organizations) connects and equips professional coaches and organizations to accelerate and amplify impact on social progress through coaching. The ICF Foundation's programs include our Social Impact Pilot Project, ICF Coaches for Good and Ignite: Engaging Humanity Through Education is part of the ICF Foundation’s long-term strategy to advance social progress through coaching by aligning with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations. To learn more or to get involved with Ignite, please contact the Foundation’s staff at information@foundationoficf.org
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