Hiring for Coachability: Why It Matters and How to Identify It in Candidates

Posted by

Kate Harry Shipham

Posted on

Mar 13, 2025

Hiring the right talent isn’t just about skills and experience—it’s about coachability. In today’s fast-moving workplace, law firms, corporate teams, and professional service organizations need people who can adapt, learn, and grow based on feedback.

Coachability isn’t about being passive or blindly accepting criticism. It’s about recognizing that personal perception doesn’t always align with reality and that until a professional can change the perception of others—whether clients, colleagues, or leadership—true progress hasn’t been made. Employees who are coachable understand that growth comes from feedback, even when it challenges their existing views.

So how do you identify coachable talent in the hiring process? Let’s break down why coachability matters and how to screen for it in candidates.

Why Coachability is Essential in Hiring

1. Adaptability in a Changing Workplace

Markets shift, industries evolve, and clients expect more. A coachable employee can take direction, adjust their approach, and continuously refine their skills to stay relevant.

Example: A legal marketing professional who struggles with digital engagement but, after receiving feedback, takes courses in SEO and data analytics to improve performance.

2. Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence

Coachable individuals have the self-awareness to recognize their blind spots and the emotional intelligence to accept that others may see their performance differently than they do.

Example: A business development professional who assumes they’re great at networking but realizes, through coaching, that their approach comes across as too transactional. Instead of getting defensive, they adjust and develop a more relationship-driven strategy.

3. Willingness to Accept Constructive Feedback

People who resist feedback often stall in their careers. Coachability ensures ongoing improvement—a necessary trait for success in client-driven industries like law, finance, and consulting.

Example: A junior associate receives feedback that their writing is too dense for clients. Instead of insisting they’re right, they take writing workshops and refine their style.

How to Identify Coachability in the Hiring Process

i. Ask: "Tell me about a time you received tough feedback. How did you handle it?"

This question forces candidates to show whether they resisted, ignored, or embraced feedback in the past.

Good Answer: A candidate shares an experience where they initially struggled with feedback but took clear steps to improve and later saw measurable success.

Red Flag: They either don’t recall a time they received tough feedback or blame the feedback-giver instead of taking responsibility.

ii. Use a Role-Playing Exercise with Live Feedback

Give candidates a brief mock assignment—such as drafting a client email or outlining a strategy. Then, provide constructive feedback and observe their reaction.

Sign of Coachability: They listen actively, ask clarifying questions, and adjust their approach in real-time.

Red Flag: They dismiss the feedback, defend their choices without considering adjustments, or become visibly frustrated.

iii. Check How They Handle "Perception Gaps"

People who are coachable accept that their perception isn’t always reality. Ask:

"Have you ever thought you were excelling at something, only to realize others didn’t see it the same way? How did you adjust?"

Good Answer: A candidate shares an example where their perception differed from others' but they took action to close the gap and change how they were viewed.

Red Flag: They insist the others were wrong and show no signs of self-correction.

iv. Ask References About Their Growth Curve

When checking references, ask former managers:

"Can you share an example of how this person responded to constructive feedback? Did they improve over time?"

Sign of Coachability: The reference shares a story of how the candidate grew after receiving feedback.

Red Flag: The reference struggles to provide an example or suggests the candidate resisted coaching.

Our Final Thoughts

Experience is valuable, but the ability to take feedback, adjust, and improve is what sets high performers apart. By hiring for coachability, firms and businesses can build teams that evolve, collaborate, and succeed in dynamic environments.

Next time you’re making a hiring decision, ask yourself: Is this person just skilled, or are they truly coachable? The answer could make all the difference.