Time to say goodbye? Knowing when to leave – and the right way to do it

Paul McArdle | Talent & Recruitment Columnist | The Currency

A close friend of mine called me over earlier this year. This individual operates at the C-suite level in an elite organisation. She has the job many of her peers covet. It is one of her industry’s “dream” jobs and one of the most high-profile. But she has had enough; she wants a change.

My friend knows her own mind and has worked her way up from the bottom of her chosen profession to reach the pinnacle. Nothing was given to her, and she earned everything herself. Her single-mindedness has been a key contributor to her career success to date. It is also one of the drivers behind her decision to explore other options now.

We had discussed her career over the years, and the call did not come as a surprise. “Groundhog Day” was a phrase that was becoming more prevalent in our conversations. Her happiness in her role was being eroded by increased repetition. She was still learning on the job, but the law of diminishing returns was kicking in. She knew more about her trade than anyone else, so she wasn’t learning as much as she would like.

The more we spoke, the clearer it became that her frustrations with the job were not only related to her daily routine. A change in direction from the managing director and the arrival of a new general manager to implement these changes has also impacted her happiness in the role. For a start, she thinks the changes are misguided and being implemented without being fully thought out. She believes lip service is being paid to her observations, significantly increasing her frustrations with her job.

As a result, her influence on her area, where she is an expert, is eroding. The general manager is basking in the managing director’s limelight, can do no wrong, and is the “golden boy.” This impacts her personally, and her feelings towards the general manager and the managing director are more emotional than professional. She sees these changes as a slight on her, even though the changes might be good for the business.

Whenever I speak to candidates looking to move, I get more than one reason why they have decided to move on. Sometimes, like my friend, you must listen and let them speak freely: The reasons will always come out. It is usually an accumulation of issues that gets people thinking of moving on.

Once the genie is out of the bottle, it isn’t easy to put it back in. My friend knows this. She has decided to move, and her next issue is to work out what she does next.

Greener grass

Then she came up with the phrase I hear most from people in a similar situation: She “wants to do something very different”. If I got a euro for every candidate who said this to me, I would pay a decent ghostwriter to do my columns for The Currency while I lie on a beach…

It is human nature to believe that the “grass is greener” elsewhere. It is also natural to yearn for doing the exact opposite of what you are doing now because what you are doing now does not make you happy. All logical and all, in nearly every case, wrong!

I sometimes get a chief financial officer on €250,000 plus change in a large company telling me they want to work in a start-up. They really don’t. They have romanticised that the exact opposite of their day job is what they would love to do. In a start-up, they will get autonomy, the excitement of building something from scratch, and the chance to make life-changing numbers as their start-up is sure to IPO…

When I point out that a start-up is highly unlikely to pay its number one finance guy €250,000, that the accounts won’t prepare themselves, so you will be back on the tools, that working capital management is real, that you are responsible for making payroll every month, that sales will be hard to come by, etc. a start-up is really hard work, fraught with danger, and not necessarily the wisest career move.

Choice

If this CFO has made his money and can afford to do this, that is different. He has the gift of choice, one of the most underrated gifts you can get in your career. Choosing what you want to do next, with a safety net to fall back on if required, is the best of both worlds. Very few people have this choice.

Back to my friend: Unless she has won the lotto, she does not have that choice either. My advice to her and everyone I speak to on their next career moves is simple: Consider every option on its merits. Why should she rule out doing the same role at the same level with a competitor? There is the risk of being bored somewhere else doing the same thing, and I get that. However, when we look at her motivation for moving on, the most significant factor seems to be the change in the direction of her current business.

Consider everything on its merits

Many people move to do similar roles in other organisations every day of the week, but they rarely end up doing the same thing. Many factors come into play: the autonomy that may come with the new role, the culture of the business, the faith the new management puts in you, the ambition of your potential new employer, etc. She would be mad to arbitrarily close off viable options without considering them.

Her gut feeling can guide her on her next move. Moving to a direct competitor may not feel right after she does her due diligence on the opportunity, which is fine. By exploring the opportunity as opposed to unilaterally rejecting it, she is making a career decision with complete information. Keep your options open!

My friend works in a niche area and tells me she has engaged with a specialist recruiter to help her find her next role. She is comfortable that the recruiter understands her niche, is highly networked with the right people, and is clear on what she is looking for.

She is also very thorough and asked me for my advice on how to engage effectively with this recruiter so she could achieve her career goals.

I advised her as follows:

• Be clear in your communication of what you want.
• Ensure that she is comfortable with the recruiter and that her due diligence on the recruiter is thorough (it is always better to work with a recruiter you have been introduced to/heard good things about).
• Look at the recruiter as a partner and help set them up for success – allowing them to help her get the proper role.
• Tell the recruiter as much as possible about herself, both her good and bad qualities. The recruiter can then better manage the message to potential employers.
• Ensure the recruiter knows she is committed to moving for the right role. For example, if she is open to a counteroffer from her employer, she is not motivated to move.
• Make time for interviews and cooperate with the recruiter. Ensure she is seen as a good partner in the process, too.
• Ask for direct and constructive feedback. She may be a whizz at her job but a poor interviewee.
• Keep the recruiter informed with relevant information — is she involved in another recruitment process, going away on holiday, or is a salary rise imminent?
• Have an open mind and listen to the recruiter’s advice/coaching. It doesn’t mean she has to follow it, but if she is partnering properly with the recruiter, it is essential that she listens.
• Give the recruiter constructive feedback; what can they do better for her?
• Don’t become a ghost…

I also advised her to network more with her peers. There is no need to tell people she is looking for a new role, but she can become more visible and become more front of mind. Once she is comfortable with confidentiality, she can judge when and whom to talk to about looking for a role as appropriate.

Recruiters get more calls from candidates after the holidays, and I expect the usual post-Christmas rush. Candidates have more time to think when on a break, and their respective genies start hitting against the corks… If the genie does escape from the bottle, how you handle it will help determine if your next move is right for you.

Be like my friend, prepare for success, keep your mind open and be nice to your recruiter!