I conducted an interesting consult last week with an executive jobseeker who is looking to move on from a company he had started 6 years ago.
He had grown the company as far as he could and needed a new challenge, however it also turned out that the company had fallen on hard times more recently.
And here was a classic example of how our impartial consultancy service can prove invaluable for senior executives.
The client wanted to know how far (if at all) he should mention this in his CV and/ or at interview – he felt that this was not an open conversation he could have with recruiters.
On closer inspection the company had, not unlike many others in the last couple of years, been providing a vital service but had struggled to refinance its debt. Their clients could not live without the service as there were no other suppliers of note.
I would stress that honesty is best policy, you should be able to consult with your recruiter to make sure there are no surprises at interview. Your prospective employer will do the necessary due diligence at companies house especially when this can often be the only tangible evidence of performance when recruiting an owner director, especially in this climate!
Often it’s not all bad though – talking it through highlighted the positives in his particular case and these must be stressed wherever possible. His clients were aware of his companys’ position but still needed the service and he didn’t want to leave them high and dry. He cut the companies overheads and now provides the service with a completely outsourced and stripped down business model.
Even though the company was barely recognisable, he still found a way to deliver and his clients demonstrated loyalty which can only be attributed to the valued service he built. He just needed to make sure he perceived this as an achievement whereas psychologically it felt far from it.
In my time as an executive search consultant, there were a few examples of candidates not being completely honest with me and ultimately the hiring company; most were front runners for the job and all were unsuccessful in landing the job.
You need to work with your recruiter and be honest – help them help you – any recruiter worth their salt will work with you and manage everyones expectations – you don’t need to mention every minutiae of detail but it’s important to accentuate the positives if you can and demonstrate that you learnt from the experience and ulimately gained from the experience.
I hope you have a productive week…
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