the search after the prior search firm’s failure was canceled when the president resigned (for health reasons) and the client realized no one would take the job unless they knew they would fit well with the president. Then when a new president was hired a year later the org had already lined up someone [...]

A client is hiring a candidate and asked for my suggestion on an effective bonus plan so I suggested one I’ve used over the years. It has  an objective part (sales, profits, growth, etc.) and subjective part, yet it handles the subjective part is a way that supervisors are usually comfortable. We break down [...]

A recent candidate’s resume cited an MBA from California Coast University, “a nationally accredited school.” Sad to say for the uninformed one can get suckered into paying half the usual price for a degree that is not worth even that much. The right accreditation is by the regional association for accrediting colleges and [...]

Recently we proposed finding a CEO in financial services for a government entity. Not having done such an assignment before but having done numerous searches for search committees we teamed with a prestigious NYC search firm who specialized in financial industry searches…they’d done over 100 in the last four years! But…they didn’t do [...]

Clients of search firms often do not realize the major disadvantage a search firm doing many searches in one industry or function may have. For example, when doing two searches seeking the same type candidate will they possibly present the same person at the same time to two clients? Or would one recruiter [...]

Many people go through life like they’re on automatic pilot….when they really should be asking why do I do what I do, what are the reasons behind that, how could I come across more effectively, is there a God, etc. To avoid going in the wrong direction or major mistakes (crashes) the questions must [...]

It’s a common phrase which applies to executives as well as organizations. If one doesn’t keep learning and the rest of the world does one is actually losing ground. We look for people who are lifelong learners.

I recently had a six-month long unpleasant experience. Someone used proprietary information of ours for financial gain. I would not take the person to court but I did strive for binding arbitration and the person refused. I firmly believe sometimes when a wrong can’t be righted it best to just let it [...]

Today, when considering the hiring of an executive one must go past what used to be the appropriate background checks to now include an extensive “Google” search. Until now unknown dirty laundry may be thus revealed by so doing. For example, recently a private university announced its new president and within a week [...]

Use of Myers-Briggs, StrengthFinders, etc., can be helpful in understanding a person and their fit.  But such should not take the place of a thorough interview and in-depth 360 degree reference checking.  One client hired us to re-do a search another search firm, which strongly pushes an assessment tool based on one’s motivation, had done.  [...]