Lessons Learned from Clients Who Are Repeaters

Somewhere between 3-5% of our clients will cycle back to us within 12-18 months after starting a new position. While this is a very low repeat rate, it’s humiliating and frustrating to those few clients who experience it. When someone is in a career transition mode, he or she is often emotionally and/or financially vulnerable, and this state of vulnerability can color judgments, especially about future career opportunities. As a result, as career consultants, we play a pivotal role in challenging a client’s thinking about job offers and opportunities. Noted below are some of the key “dos” and “don’ts” we’ve helped clients work through over the years:

Do recognize that cultural and personality fit are as important as business fit, and sometimes more so.

Upwards of 80% of executive derailments involve so called “soft issues” relative to fit rather than the “hard” business issues. So, the probabilities are 4 to 1 that a derailment will be rooted in a soft issue. Regrettably, most executives don’t pay enough attention to this when considering a new position. We have become strong believers in an executive’s ability to “read” the individual and team styles, the organizational culture, and board dynamics of target companies. We systematically coach and train clients on the need to do so, and how to do it. Frankly, more than a few executives (ego driven “captains of industry”) ignore this key aspect or do it poorly without some overt third party insight and coaching.

Don’t accept a position if you don’t know who your boss will be.

Executive recruiters and companies will more than occasionally go into the marketplace to recruit a subordinate when a supervisor’s position is also open. This often happens during restructurings or when companies are in financial stress and the Board has “cleaned house”. If a subordinate joins the company first, he or she may discover that the subsequently recruited supervisor may see the business and cultural issues very differently. In most instances, senior executives look for and emphasize particular skills, experience, and approaches in their subordinates. They know what “works for them” to help offset their own limitations and reinforce their key strengths. In these circumstances, if one of our clients accepts a position before having clarity around expectations, style, and values from a direct supervisor, he or she assumes a substantially above normal risk in a new job situation.

Don’t be rushed into accepting a position.

Sometimes employers and executive recruiters create a powerful urgency through “end game” tactics. For example “Our board meeting is next week”; or “we need this done by March 1”; or “the annual ____ process is about to start (you fill in the blank)”; or, especially in this economy, “we have an eager alternative candidate waiting in the wings”. Clients are fine if they’ve completed their due diligence at this point, but at risk if they haven’t. A client’s requirement for an organized and deliberate process to come to an appropriate yes or no decision should be based on as much knowledge as possible within a reasonable period of time regarding the business, cultural, and people factors and is as important as the company’s need to fill the position. Be wary if a company or search firm doesn’t respect your need to do this thoughtfully and carefully, and more so if they try to shortcut or thwart this effort.

Do check and double check the issues important to you.

It’s very important to ask the key business and cultural questions of everyone in the interview process. In addition to asking your potential new boss these key questions, do the same with peers, subordinates, and other involved stakeholders. It’s essential to get a reasonably consistent set of answers. If you don’t, engage in deeper digging to try and explain key differences. Remember that different managerial levels may see business and cultural situations differently and you will have to sort these anomalies out to your own satisfaction, and that of your consultant.

Don’t work for someone you do not trust, respect, lack confidence in, or dislike.

While this sounds like Business School 101, it happens too often to dismiss lightly. No matter how hard we try to hide emotions and attitudes relative to others, over time our attitudes will reveal how we feel and it affects our behavior. Negative attitudes and behaviors are “mirrored” by others quite rapidly. And, of course, in any conflict between a superior and a subordinate, the superior prevails. So, like the doctor’s oath to “do no harm”, a client’s oath should be “avoid questionable situations”.

Don’t be lured by money when the other factors aren’t right.

Financial considerations can and should play an important role in the decision process, but they should not be the only factor or even the primary one. The nature of the business challenge, the culture, and people factors should flash “green” before the financial factor in seriously considered. If the business, cultural, and people factors aren’t right, cash compensation and equity grants won’t correct these deficiencies.

Do get it in writing, and make sure it includes all the key elements.

An offer letter, term sheet, or employment agreement is an important business document. It memorializes agreements and understandings between the two key parties, the company and the prospective employee, as a run-up to starting in the new position. All of the meaningful issues should be covered. Our consultants are especially astute at ensuring that these agreements are comprehensive and complete. One critical issue is severance. It’s reasonable and smart to document severance provisions, including career transition support. An executive owes it to himself and his or her family to negotiate for needed income and benefits protection in advance of the relationship not working out. And our clients have much more leverage in doing so when entering a position than when leaving it.

Do trust your judgment and common sense.

Executives need a process to harmonize the emotional and intellectual aspects of the search for a new position, and use some basic common sense and judgment, just as they would when making an important “on the job” business decision involving people issues. If the proper research and due diligence process has been successfully completed, the “head” and the “heart” should converge on a “go” decision. If not, it should be “no go”.

Summary

It’s not surprising that we spend a lot of time seriously discussing and assessing new opportunities with clients before they commit to one of them. While we value and respect our clients, and really love working with them, we would rather not see them again because an employment choice they made wasn’t thoughtfully and completely vetted or made for the wrong reasons.