Weekly Thoughts From the Desk of the Principal

The other day I was talking with a job seeker who's at the crossroads of his career.  His successful business is starting to wind down, and he's struggling to figure out what to do next.  He has at least a decade left before retirement, but at the same time he doesn't want to take just any job.  In fact, his questions are less about things like salary and benefits, and more about work culture, community, and mission.

I applaud him for his discernment, and as someone who's in the search and recruiting business, I understand that the average hiring process is not set up for people like him.  The various mechanical milestones of HR applications, cover letters, interviews, and performance tasks often gloss over fundamental issues like the ones that matter to that job seeker.

An excellent hiring process will allow both sides to truly discover and discern.  I'm flying to Seattle today to kick off a major search, but I'm also going to make time to have breakfast with a candidate in another search for whom a possible job opportunity would be a major life transition.  I want to take advantage of this time to get to know him, understand his needs and concerns, and answer any questions to help him discover whether a potential job offer would be right for him and his family.

One of our core methodologies is intentionality.  For us, being intentional does not mean being formulaic or rigid.  Intentionality must leverage situational awareness, which is about helping employers and job seekers discern and reflect before they make a major, life-changing or organizational-changing decision.

Regardless of whether you work with an executive recruiter, make sure you create a process that gives yourself the flexibility to be inventive and creative.  Open your eyes to the needs of those on the other side, and find ways to be gracious and supportive.  Yes, it takes extra time, but the payoff in the end is worth it.

Sincerely,

Gabe