While it is true that getting into the game won't do you any good if you don't have the right qualifications, it is also true that you can have all the right specifications, yet labor away in obscurity and wait for the phone call that never comes. A most important point to understand is that only a minority of executive jobs are filled by outside search firms. Even if you do "register" on the search firms' radar, there are still an enormous number of opportunities out there that you won't see unless you network in other ways as well.
The majority of opportunities for promotion go to internal candidates. Joining a good company with opportunities for growth is still a key part of any career plan. This is a topic we can only address briefly. Our goal is to use the characteristics of senior positions filled by search firms to understand the characteristics of executives who are promoted. We don't pretend to offer a complete perspective on the many other ways opportunities are to be found and developed. For example, when there is no internal candidate, companies do direct hiring within their industry, because they already know the strongest people among their competitors. In many of these cases, there is no "official" opening or "official" search. Sometimes a company knows where it is short of talent, but hasn't been prompted to do something explicit about it. But if a candidate comes to the company's attention, perhaps through a friend, a customer or a supplier, or someone else in the company who knows the candidate, it may be just the impetus the company needs to act. This kind of opportunistic hiring occurs frequently.
The executive talent search process has a high degree of chance associated with it. The bigger your networking net, the more likely the right fish will swim by at the right time. Experienced HR executives estimate the single biggest source for external hires at the general manager level is the networking contacts among the hiring company's "official families," among that is the social, civic or interest groups to which the company's senior executives belong.
The other side of advancement and mobility is to be focused and proactive. You can't just wait for the phone to ring. If it becomes clear that you should move away from your company, it is relatively easy to identify the firms and jobs that represent the logical next step. Exploring these targets requires a sub- strategy of having your-self introduced to the right people by the right intermediary. The intermediary's role is to explain that while you are not looking, you have always admired company XYZ and if there were a mutual interest, you would certainly be amenable.
The risk is that no one can keep a secret. Your employer may learn you are looking around. You must also have confidence in the intermediary and she must know the target company well. An uninformed or incompetent intermediary might make contact with a person who would quickly figure out that it is his or her own job for which you could be a candidate.
The point is, there are a variety of ways to position your-self for mobility. The point of this book is to help you understand all those things you should be doing long in advance of any situations which cause one to look. As search consultants say, the worst time to begin networking is when you need it the most. The real players are doing it all the time, especially when things are going well.
The Top Five Factors: Nothing Beats Having a Reputation for Getting Results
Table 3.1 shows the top five factors that were relevant in putting a candidate on our search partners' radar. Not surprisingly, the list looks a lot like the one derived from the "spec sheets." But now the ordering changes. The "comparable job" factor is a big part of the search process, so it jumps up into the top tier. Stressed over and over in the interviews was that the real "sorting factor," at this stage, is the reputation for getting results. Once they conduct a round-up of those in the right jobs with the right background, the ranking is done on the record of accomplishments. How to build that record of results is the subject of all the books on general management. For our purposes, the issue is, how do you demonstrate what you have done in a way that helps you stand out from any others with similar backgrounds?
The partners we talked with all said the same thing. Colleagues, coworkers, and competitors all know who the stars are. Getting known among that group is the most important factor to improving your odds of getting on the search firms' lists. But there are "good" lists and "bad" lists. There are "perennial" candidates or stars that keep seeing lots of opportunities. A second group network but don't have the track record. They will never be referred to positively by a colleague or competitor. A third group has respectable records but has alienated people, developed reputations for being difficult, self-focused or someone who doesn't "play fair." Remember this before you make enemies or burn bridges. Make sure the stakes are high enough to risk making an adversary who would like nothing better than to seek revenge.
Secondly, recognize that upward mobility is "presumptive," that is, people who are promoted regularly are assumed to have achieved results. The flip side is that it's harder, even if true, to convince people that you have achieved positive results if your employer has kept you in the same job for ten years. If your moves don't demonstrate a clear pattern of taking on broader responsibilities, you need to think about whether you should do something about it. Both lateral moves and long period with-out new assignments or advancements are viewed suspiciously.
Third, a reputation for results is carried farther if you are visible in your own industry. Visibility comes from writing, presentations and speeches, and from reciprocating in benchmarking initiatives both with competitors and with customers and suppliers. Take the long view. People who see these as a waste of time are penny-wise and pound-foolish.
Another significant way of getting a reputation for results involves understanding how much of the employer's reputation rubs off on you. Warren Buffet is reported to have said, "When a manager with a reputation for brilliance joins an industry with a reputation for being difficult, it is the reputation of the industry that will survive." That is equally true for "star" companies, i.e., those that are perceived as having superior reputations, doing exciting things, or have been the training grounds for future winners. Search consultants refer to certain organizations as "academy companies," training ground of the industry elite. That is not to say that doing a good job at a less well-known company makes it impossible for someone to find you. But it means a second step must be added. There must be evidence that either you were brought in to make a turnaround, or that something special is occurring because of you. There is a penalty for working in a company in trouble, or one with a reputation for being a laggard, out of touch, or behind the times. It is not insurmountable, but it is real.
Getting on the Database
All searches start with basic research by the search firm. This research typically takes three forms. You have essentially no chance of being discovered unless your name turns up in one of these three ways.
The search firm first develops a list of companies that will have people with the right experience, values, and reputations. It then looks to determine the incumbents of the positions that would be considered qualifying. We stress that with the increased use of sophisticated databases to do this first round search, it is important that you have a conventional job title. When the searches of annual reports, directories and proxies are done, they are done by job title, and your name will get sorted onto the preliminary list if you have a "standard" job tide. Firms that use less descriptive, less hierarchical tides (affiliate, partner, facilitator, etc.) may help people feel good but may be hurting their mobility. So it is not a trivial issue that you have a conventional job tide that reflects the scope and traditional description of your kind of position.
This is no minor challenge with companies flattening hierarchies and becoming more "warm and fuzzy." It is not inconceivable, as the vice president of manufacturing, to be offered the re-designation as "partner for physical processes" or "the colleague for product assembly." There is a price to be paid, and it is that the computer search of comparable positions kicks your name out into the "reject" bucket because it can't figure out what your nontraditional tide means.
In addition to being at the right company with the right tide, you also want to be where the action is, because the second phase of research is to look at companies where change is occurring, where people are exposed to cutting-edge issues. When companies go through new product cycles, mergers, or downsizing, other firms feel they can learn from the pioneers. Also, where there is some disruption going on, the search firm feels people might be a little bit more willing to listen to an outside offer.
The third phase of research is targeting companies that are the most successful competitors, whose values and practices the recruiters admire or who they feel have surmounted challenges analogous to those the successful candidate will face in his or her new position.
Jumping onto the database is, in large measure, an ongoing process of continuing to focus on several questions. "Are you in the middle of the action?" "Are you and your company at the front end of forward thinking and change?" and "Does your personal profile reflect positively on your own reputation within the company?" There are two other common sense suggestions. One is to make sure you are listed in annual reports, organizational charts, customer service brochures, etc. If your company doesn't do annual reports or doesn't do organization listings at your level, you might think about publishing those kinds of things for your customers and suppliers with an understanding that they will also get into the hands of search firms to keep their databases up to date. Another way of having your name show up in the databases is to write articles for magazines, be a seminar speaker and serve in the trade and industry organizations as an officer, director or a resource. Search firms learn of you through these conduits.
Networking: The Most Important Thing of All
Network ... network ... network ... all the time and especially when you don't need it and when things are going well.
Search consultants understand that organizational charts, company phone books, listings in annual reports and job descriptions are static, meaning they don't indicate what is really going on within the company. The best source of information is people in and around the industry. Search firms rely on these people to provide opinion, perspective, judgments on quality and reputation. Only people can provide the history and background that allows a search firm to assess if someone is the right kind of candidate or just happens to be occupying a "qualifying" place, but has none of the other desired traits.
Working the Obvious Networks
Whatever makes sure you are not an invisible member of the organization. You must become a name with a reputation. Also, become visible among customers and suppliers. There is networking and then there is effective networking.
It does no good to be on the masthead of organizations, but invisible in practice. It makes no sense to join a club or trade group and never attend the meetings. It makes no sense to be a passive, or negative, member since your reputation will be for how you behave within the trade or industry group. It will be assumed that is the same style you bring to your job. When involved in these organizations, be just as professional, enthusiastic, helpful, creative and dynamic as you are on the job. Take the leadership roles; be self-effacing, but willing to work. Build your reputation within the groups as a doer or leader, thoughtful, respectful and yet interesting. That will be the reputation attached to you when people ask about you from the outside.
The Not-So-Obvious Networks
Earlier in this chapter we discussed how many job searches are never really "officially" opened, but exist only if someone makes a suggestion to someone who has been thinking about an opening or a need to solve a problem. What becomes more important is the less obvious networking that people should do, especially as they become more senior. Senior searches will go beyond the industry to look for people with broad general management skills. That is why, as executives mature, they become involved in school alumni organizations, civic groups, political organizations, charitable groups, common interest groups. They find it has a triple payoff. It entails the intrinsic value of giving back, rewarding in its own right. The second payoff is the opportunity to meet people outside an industry group, to develop a broader range of acquaintanceships. (A life where most of your primary relationships are among coworkers or industry colleagues will be narrow and dull.) The third payoff is another network of people who may think of you when opportunities arise outside your industry.
Handling the First Phone Call
Understand the Process And The Stages
When that first phone call comes in from a search firm you don't know, the search consultant may not know whether you are a potential candidate or someone who could give them leads. The first rule is, don't answer too quickly. Our partners say listen, listen quietly and listen carefully. Even if it is something in which you have no interest, understand you are being evaluated not only as a candidate but as a person who might be a future candidate. If you turn off someone at this stage, you are going to cut yourself off for future opportunities to build a reputation within the search firm community. If a consultant phones, say, "Great, how can I help you." You don't have to declare yourself interested or not interested. Just take the call, don't be aloof and offer help if you can.
Playing Hard To Get Will Make You Hard To Get (And Hard To Find)
A second piece of advice is to understand that at these early stages, there is no negotiating going on. Faking disinterest, because you feel that is a better posture than seeming too eager is unproductive. You don't want to get ahead of either yourself or the natural stages of the searches. You don't need to declare yourself right away. If it does become clear that you are being approached as a potential target, say you're flattered, hadn't really thought about this, but will have to think about it, and would like more information. As long as you are, in good faith, doing due diligence, everyone respects that. The key is, of course, if you get to the point where you have concluded that you have no interest, then communicate that quickly before any more time is invested in you by the search firm or the client.
Describe the Results You Have Achieved Succinctly, Clearly and Candidly
If you are someone who they might be interested in, they'll ask for a description of what you have done. Here, remember again, you are being evaluated not only on what you have accomplished, but on how you handle a situation like this. A long discussion of jobs, tides, responsibilities and processes you have handled will be counterproductive. People are looking to understand what your specific contribution was to tangible results, so describe the key outcomes for which you were unambiguously responsible. Quickly focus on the bottom line, e.g., "I was the general manager of the dry cereal group for two years. My two biggest accomplishments were the introduction of the new brand Captain Smackey's that built $5 million in volume and achieved profitability in less than two years, and increasing the overall growth rate on dry cereals from the 6 percent it had been in the past ten years to 7.5 percent in the last two." If asked, tell how you did it, but don't get into all the cute tricks and promotions. Show that you think and focus on the bottom line and that you expect the search consultant to ask the detailed questions where and when interested.
Never Exaggerate, Never Obfuscate, Never Eliminate Important Times, Places Or Events
I asked all of our partners what the worst thing is that clients or candidates can do in the early rounds. They all said the same things: exaggerating their role or their connection to certain results; embellishing on their job titles or education; obfuscating why they made certain moves or what prompted certain changes, whether something was a promotion or a lateral move, or omitting certain jobs or positions or blank periods in their resume. Those can never be withdrawn or changed. No matter how good you are or even how good the reasons might be, if there is an inconsistency between what you say in that first interview and what comes out later, you are certainly out of the running for this job. And you have substantially reduced your potential to stay on the Rolodex. So no matter what the temptation is, be direct. Be honest about the degree of your involvement. Don't weasel around situations where you were fired, quit or had gaps in your resume. Give other people credit for results and acknowledge that yours was one of several roles in a major success. This will lead people to assume you are being modest. They will give you more credit than if you took it yourself. If you are caught overplaying your role, even by a small degree, you have done yourself permanent harm.
Understand The Search Consultant's Objective During The First Interview
The most important advice is not to get ahead of the process. You may be one of a dozen people who the research indicates is worth getting to know. The consultant is not in a position to offer you the job, or even make you a semifinalist at this point. What he needs is enough background to answer these three questions for the client:
- Do you meet all or most of the criteria for the job in the spec sheet?
- In the course of the phone call did you handle yourself in a way that suggests you have the interpersonal skills, maturity, judgment and communication skills to match the other job requirements?
- Are there any reasons why, no matter what, you couldn't or wouldn't be able to act on this opportunity, i.e., you are under contract, you have a non-compete agreement, you are precluded from moving because of family issues or strong geographical preferences, etc.?
Being a Good Source
Most people who are candidates and are thought of regularly for executive assignments have also served as good sources to the search firms. Advice on how to be a good source includes:
Take All The Calls
Don't have your secretary screen out calls from search firms. In many cases they may not identify themselves, in part because they are trying to protect you from people knowing you are talking to a search firm. When someone calls to "source" a job, spend a little time thinking about the job. Listen, even if you are not interested, and see if you can make a contribution. Don't ever run your own agenda in terms of the names you give them. Several partners mentioned that there is a tendency to help friends. If you are in the service business, you might mention people who you think, if they get the job, might be future customers. But that becomes obvious very quickly. Don't recommend someone who you know wouldn't be a strong candidate because you figure it will create a favor owed to you. That person won't get the job anyway and all you will do is ruin your own reputation with the search firms. Do give them other sources if you can't think of good candidates. Give them names of those who might know other sources. That is important information to them and it shows that you are connected. Don't feel like you have to do it off the top of your head. Ask them to send you a copy of the job description. Tell them you will think about it and then get back to them within a week. Even if nothing occurs to you, the consideration and the fact that you have thought about it will be impressive. It is perfectly all right to call back, and say you have thought about it and still no specifics come to mind, but you'll get back if something comes up.
Do You Want To Be A Reference?
This is a tough area because of legal and emotional risks. When someone tells you she gave your name to a search firm as a reference, it is that person's presumption that you will say nice things. If your opinion is other than totally positive, you have some real issues. Do you respond evasively, or, if you are candid, how can you prevent the person from knowing that you might have spoiled her chances? On balance I encourage you to, in fact, serve as a reference as long as you feel that you are dealing with people who can maintain the confidence, and that you can be candid. If all you are going to do is say the same about everyone or if you are going to be so vague as to be useless, then stay away. Even without being overly negative, search firm partners are good at reading people who try to point out problem areas. Don't be afraid to let them into your thinking.
Networking with the Search Firm
Once you have made it onto the database, done your networking with the industry groups, been approached once or twice for jobs, and been used as a source, the key question is how to maintain contacts with the search firms. All recruiters say it is important and useful that they keep in touch with people who might ultimately be candidates, as well as sources, but keep these important warnings in mind. The first is not to be a time waster. All search consultants are perpetually busy. They are on the phone, traveling, meeting clients, meeting candidates, developing sources. Time is their only resource. Be respectful of that reality and understand that they can get most of what they need in terms of keeping up with you and your situation in five or ten minutes at certain appropriate stages. Trying to have a ninety-minute lunch every three months with a series of search consultants will only get you labeled as a time-waster.
Remember Who They Work For
Search consultants are engaged by clients. It is not their responsibility to help people look around for better jobs. The typical executive search consultant might have four to six searches at any one time and those must occupy the majority of her time and attention. The odds that your interests fit any of that small number of searches at a particular time is very low. Your first goal is to have the search consultant keep your file in the database up to date. Your second goal is to be the kind of person about whom the search partner will have positive things to say when a database search hits your name.
Remember That Search Firms Must Keep Their Data Fresh
The half-life of what is in the search firm's files is only six or seven months. Search firms know that whatever they have on file about you that is more than four or five months old must be verified before they can do anything with it. Say to your-self "Has something happened to my circumstances that would cause my files to need updating? Is my file accurate and complete?" In many cases, there is nothing that you would pass on that would be new news to them. So you might want to be circumspect about making a contact. On the other hand, when you have had a promotion, a transfer, or if you have just achieved something significant, it is time to call. Also, if you know that within the next year or so you are likely to be asked to do something different in your current company, you should consider that to be a good time to catch up with your contacts in the search business. A brief phone call or little note that says, "Here is something that I hope you will add to my file; call me if you want to chat," is all it takes. If the news is a prospective promotion or reassignment, it is also understandable that you would want to get an outside opinion on whether it is a desirable change.
When Not To Call
The worst time to make a call is when you are angry or frustrated with your company. The worst time to call is when you are feeling like you have to find a new set of alternatives. Your attitude will show thorough. Every search consultant knows exactly when someone is calling because he or she is fed up with the current employer. You must let the moment pass. That is not to say that you should ignore those feelings, but let the irritation of the moment subside. Look at the broader sweep of events. If there hasn't been a promotion or accomplishment recently, structure the contact in the context of a three-to-four year perspective on what you have done and what your goals are for the next two or three years. Anything that suggests urgency of action or a frustration or disappointment is not going to help the cause, nor is the search consultant typically in a position to do anything within the short term.
How to Handle Rejection
Even the most successful and skillful executives will be told they are not among the semifinalists or finalists. The fact that, for many reasons, you were not moved to the next round is more a reflection on the peculiarities of the search process and the specifics than it is any reflection of you. Search firms are not in the habit of talking to losers or failures, and you should never feel any sense of disappointment. Nor should you argue with the search firm about its conclusions. In many cases the client may have something specific that he wanted in terms of background that you don't possess. It is optional for you to ask for feedback. There can be things that you can learn, although the reasons why you might not have fit one specific opportunity are not necessarily things that you want to let shape you for future searches. You might want to learn whether it was your profile, or the nature of your skills, that washed you out. Probably the most important thing you would want to learn is whether there were issues of style or reputation, or how you handled the process, that knocked you out of the box. Like bad credit reports, those kinds of things can become part of the "book" on you that would be hard to deal with if you didn't know about them. The reality is that people don't like to say negative things directly. You are not likely to get candid feedback if you ask, "What did I do wrong, where did I mess up, where didn't I stack up well?" The general response will be there was nothing wrong with you, it was just the client was looking for something a little different. Ask in slightly different form. Ask what the candidates who moved to the next round had in common. Questioned in that form, search consultants will, at least obliquely, point out the items that the other candidates possessed that you didn't. If you don't hear much about differences in experience or position, it does at least raise the question of whether skill differences or style got in the way. Keep in mind that people are very reluctant to give negative feedback, so you have to make an opening statement that invites personal feedback. An open-ended, "Gee, did I do anything wrong?" is not likely to get you anything other than secrets. You might say, "Well, as I listen to you I don't see too many differences in background, but I had a funny feeling that I was not connecting with you." Or, you might say, "I felt like perhaps I didn't do a good job of describing the things that I have accomplished." Those phrases will give the search consultant an opportunity, if that is, in fact, part of the issue, to give you hints or suggestions.
The point is that you want to be considered for many opportunities. You want to be candid about the opportunities where you are not interested and be realistic that many of the ones that come won't be right. In some cases, you won't fit, or someone else will have a better profile. Your goal is not to be offered every job, but to be considered for those where there is possible mutual interest. Build your reputation as someone who is worth talking to over the long term. Then, when the right one does come around, it will be a pitch that will be served up and you will be given a chance to swing at it.
