Although more than seven in ten (71 per cent) employers in the UK use coaching to enhance the skills of workers, many firms are struggling to utilise the technique effectively, it has been suggested.

According to a Coaching in Organisations report compiled by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and the Ashridge Centre for Coaching, efforts to develop coaching capability in order to support business goals remain in their early stages.

"The most significant challenge for businesses is to develop the appropriate level of structure to enable coaching relationships to be as effective as possible. A one-size-fits-all approach will never offer real value," stated Dr John McGurk, CIPD learning, training and development adviser.

Coaching in Organisations was launched earlier this week at a CIPD conference with the aim of providing HR and learning and development professionals with advice concerning how to implement coaching strategies.

Earlier this month, the CIPD cast doubt on the effectiveness of e-learning, suggesting that just seven per cent of people questioned identified it as one of the top three most effective training methods.