Belgian Waffles for Breakfast?

I typically travel solo, but observing a lawyer with a client at the airport last week made me realize there should be an etiquette guide for business travel with your manager or a client. Though I’ve written Road Warrior blogs, I’m certainly no Ms. Manners of the road, but the following seems obvious.

The primary rule is to adapt your behavior to that of your manager or client. Do not be high-maintenance. This can play out in several specific ways, as indicated below:

1) Luggage.

If you’re only going on a two-day business trip, ditch the steamer trunk. Eliminate any thoughts of checking luggage; it is rude and inconsiderate for others to wait a half hour for your 50-pound roller bag to come off the luggage carousel.

A corollary to this rule is not to bring so many clothes that your client/manager thinks that you are auditioning for the next season of “The Bachelor” or “The Bachelorette.” This is, after all, a business trip.

2) Meals.

While traveling with others, you may not control what you eat, when you eat, or if you eat at all. Several years ago, I was traveling with a young associate. As I sat in our rental car in the 120-degree Phoenix heat, motor idling, my colleague was busy inside eating pecan waffles. Exasperated, I went in looking for her and she responded, “I always have to have a big breakfast.” That was the last time we traveled together.

Similarly, if your companion orders a Diet Coke for dinner, don’t ask for the wine list. If your client/manager orders wine, permit yourself a glass of wine, but do not make a big deal of tasting several wines, sending them back, or behave in any way that calls attention to yourself. Your goal is to blend in and to be low-maintenance.

3) Be organized.

Your travel companion should not have to deal with you forgetting the location of your credit card, car key, boarding pass, or parking ticket. I remember traveling with my business partner (who will be furious at me for recounting this story), who tends to be a little absent-minded. We had a meeting at 9 a.m., and at 8:55 a.m., she called in a panic, and I had to go to her room to help her find the keys to our rental car, which she had somehow misplaced in the depths of her suitcase. Really, you don’t want your business partner going through your suitcase looking for lost car keys.

4) Be punctual.

If your client/manager likes to get to the airport two hours early for a shoeshine or a visit to the United Club, accommodate him or her. Give up your habit of streaking down the gangway as the plane doors are closing, which will only cause anxiety for your travel companion. I have seen several occasions where a traveler in a group did not make the flight. Believe me, it did not make a good impression.

5) Keep your personal life separate.

Limit calls home to times that you are in your room. Do not call the family while en route to the next meeting in the rental car or taxi with your boss/client. Your client/manager doesn’t want to hear that Fido had yet another accident in the family room or worse yet, that you and your spouse are fighting about where to go for the holidays.

6) Be prepared.

Do your homework on where you are going and any logistical challenges. Check the weather forecast of your destination and note if a jacket or umbrella is required. Don’t assume I packed a golf umbrella to cover both of us.

7) Cash is King.

The corollary to number six is nothing spends better than cash. You never can tell when an emergency will arise or credit cards aren’t accepted and you want to be the person with the solution, not the problem and there’s nothing that solves a problem like cash.

Have I left anything out? If so, shoot me a line.

An executive search for an internal candidate happens during the executive recruitment process when the client recommends an employee of the company for the position. This recommendation is often because the client wants to conduct a broad search and believes that the internal candidate is good but wants to cover the marketplace. Sometimes, the client questions whether the internal candidate is appropriate and wants the assessment of the search firm.

Why the Internal Candidate Experience is Important

A few years ago, The Alexander Group’s Managing Director, John C. Lamar, received an email from an internal candidate we’d interviewed for a client:

“John, you and I met over a year ago during the course of my firm’s Chief Financial Officer search, where I was the internal candidate. While I was not chosen for the position, you communicated often during the course of the search and told me that, regardless of whether I was selected, I was a valuable asset. When I was not selected, you also told me that it would clearly become evident why someone else was chosen. You were spot-on in your assessment. I have learned so much from [the successful candidate] because of her many years in our industry … Thank you for your professionalism.”

All of us in the search business have conducted this type of search, where the talent assessment for leadership roles involves unique dynamics and delicate considerations. An executive search for an internal candidate requires a structured, unbiased approach to evaluating their qualifications against external contenders. This ensures the internal candidate is measured objectively, promoting fairness and transparency throughout the search. 

Such searches are designed to assess skill alignment with the role and to consider the candidate’s growth potential and fit within the company’s evolving culture and strategic objectives. 

By treating internal candidates with the same rigor as external applicants, an executive search firm can help clients secure the best possible talent for critical leadership roles while reinforcing the internal candidate’s value to the organization—whether or not they’re ultimately selected.

Applying Executive Hiring Best Practices to Internal Candidate Searches

Including an internal candidate in the executive search process has its benefits. The company and the employee can strengthen the relationship if the internal candidate is respected and genuinely feels assessed fairly for the open role. 

However, if this process is handled indelicately, the employee can feel left out in the cold, which does not benefit the parties involved. Here is what two executives have said about their experience as an internal candidate:

A Bank President’s Disappointing Experience as an Internal Candidate

Bob, the internal candidate, commented that his inclusion as an internal candidate seemed like an afterthought. The search firm (not The Alexander Group) never provided him with a position description and did not communicate. 

“While the search firm spent 90 minutes interviewing me, they had not studied my resume to determine whether or not I would be a fit with the position. It was clear they had made their mind up before the process started. The first question I was asked was ‘Why did you choose Notre Dame for college?’ This is not a question you ask a 57-year-old man.” 

He never heard from the search firm again, even after an external candidate was selected for the position. Bob believes neither the holding company nor the search firm treated him well.

Fortune 50 Compliance VP’s Positive Internal Candidate Experience

Paula learned about the internal opportunity directly from the hiring manager. The hiring manager responded back very positively that he would be happy to have her added to the candidate slate and that she would be contacted by the search firm handling the search. Paula was interviewed in person by the search firm and was pleased with the time spent to assess her potential candidacy. She applauded the search firm’s efforts to understand the newly created role within the company. 

While Paula was not selected for the role, she remains extremely supportive of the hiring manager and believes that being included in the interview process has only improved her visibility in the company for other positions.

The Alexander Group prioritizes building enduring relationships with both clients and candidates. Paula experienced a process similar to ours, where clear communication and thorough assessment ensure the internal candidate feels valued and respected throughout the executive search. This approach strengthens the bond between the company and its employees and enhances the overall success of our executive search for an internal candidate.

Internal vs. External Executive Candidates

There are several things that an executive search firm can do to improve the internal candidate’s experience:

• Communicate often and clearly, and do not assume that the client will communicate the progress and process of the search with the candidate;
• Submit internal candidates to the same process as external candidates (i.e., if you are traveling to see external candidates, you should travel to see internal candidates);
• Spend time objectively assessing the internal candidate’s resume in line with the position and communicate to them that you are looking for the best candidate—internal or external; and
• Make the internal candidate feel “special” to be selected as an internal candidate and treat them accordingly.

We believe an internal candidate who has gone through a rigorous, unbiased interview process—and is selected—will enter the role with confidence that they are, indeed, the most qualified person for the position. If they don’t get the role, then they know they played on a level playing field and, from a career development perspective, will be even more prepared for the next opportunity.

At The Alexander Group, we are paid for the process, not the person. If the client recommends an internal candidate, she or he is just as much our candidate as any external talent we identify. Ignore the internal candidate, and you run the risk of missing out on a great talent, and possibly, a future client.Ensure your executive search process reflects the highest standards of fairness and professionalism. Contact The Alexander Group to discuss how we can help you identify and assess top talent within and beyond your organization.

Questions, we get questions. “What should I do?” “Who should our company hire?” “How should our company structure this position?”

The most important question of the week is not any of the above. Not surprisingly the question is “How can I help my son or daughter who is a recent college graduate get a job?” One recent report indicates that only 22% of college graduates have secured jobs this year. Although this is not our focus, much of the expertise that we use to recruit outstanding executive management is applicable to your son/daughter’s search. The following are a few brief recommendations.

1. The Mind Set. Finding a job is a full time job, especially in these tough times. Merely sending out three or four resumes a day will not suffice. You must act as if you have a job and you have to report to work at 8 am. The job’s location can be at a library or home office. The important thing is that you are not distracted by personal phone calls, household activities or friends. This is why the outplacement firms do well-not because they find you a job-but because they instill a discipline of going to an office where you devote eight hours a day to getting a job.

2. Have a good resume. I am always amazed at how many resumes we get that have spelling errors-and this happens with even with senior executives. Ask friends and your parent’s friends who are in the workforce for feedback on your resume.

3. Ask yourself these important questions: What do you want to do? What companies offer positions that would allow you to do this? What size company do you want to work for? What industry? What geographical location? Remember that many positions are not advertised and are found by word of mouth.

4. Once you have answered these questions, start researching. Look at business periodicals. I find the Houston Business Journal’s Book of Lists is an amazing resource because it lists a number of different types of companies-those that are growing the fastest, pay the most, are the nicest places to work etc. Most other major cities have these books. They are a good investment. Fortune, Forbes, Business Week and local papers also have articles that talk about notable companies.

5. Once you have found companies you would want to work for, write or email them a concise letter along with your resume. In writing the letter, do not address it to “Dear Sir or Madam” or “to head of Human Resources”. Do your research and find out the name of the President of the company, the head of human resources or the department in which you would want to work. Always use a middle initial and his or her exact title. That shows that you are detailed and resourceful.

6. The most important part of any job search for a college graduate or anyone looking for a job for that matter: Network, network, network. Do not be afraid to ask for help. If you went to a certain college, get lists of alums that may be working at companies you are interested in. If you are a member of a certain fraternity or sorority, see if you can find alums at those companies. People are usually happy to do a favor for someone they have something in common with. Use sites like LinkedIn to add your own contacts. The more contacts you have, you are connected to the contacts of those contacts. Remember also to return the favor. It is the law of karma….what you give comes back to you again and again.

7. If you are a parent, do not micromanage the process. Be supportive without asking “how many resumes did you send out today?”

In summary, getting a job is a numbers game. Do you have to make ten calls, or ten thousand calls? Assuming it is 10,000 calls, the faster and more disciplined you are, the faster you will get a job.

June 12, 2009
Follow Up to “The Most Asked Question of the Week”
Wrapping up last week’s blog by answering a few of the many questions we got to help the children of our clients who are graduating from college and who do not have jobs Thanks so much for your response to our first blog.

Hi, thank you very much for the suggestions you posted last week. They were suggestions that I was able to pass along to my daughter. How can my daughter find a headhunter to help her?

Posted by: Paula Finlay June 11, 2009

First, it is helpful to understand how headhunters are paid. They typically earn a percentage of the first year’s salary (usually 20-30%) of the candidate they place. There are not many headhunters that will find a new college graduate a job because the fee would be so low. As one of our bloggers mentioned in an earlier post, graduating engineers can sometimes find a headhunter to help them. But aside from that, I’m not a big fan of using headhunters to find you a job. I think it builds character when someone can go out and determine who they want to work for and try to get an introduction. Secondly, many corporations simply cannot afford to pay fees these days and given the huge number of people competing for the same jobs, they don’t have to. Thirdly, if you don’t know the headhunter well, you really don’t know how he or she is regarded by some companies. Better to represent yourself.

How much should I be willing to help my college graduate in his job search?

Posted by: Matt Conroy, June 11, 2009

Parents can help by looking at a resume and offering suggestions, if asked. In this economy, if the parent has contacts that will open doors, he or she should use them. Just don’t fall into the trap of being responsible for all of your child’s job leads. People who really do the work to find exciting companies that are hiring, get interviews and eventually jobs, will build a sense of self esteem that is important as one enters the business world. If your child does meet with your professional friends, make sure he or she writes thank you notes.

Loved reading your ideas last week but my son wants to know what else he can do.

Posted by: John Hurwitz, June 11, 2009

1. The government is spending a lot of money now. Search the internet to see if there are entry level jobs there.

2. Take some courses this summer at a local college to beef up your resume. For example, accounting is always good, in addition to marketing and computer science.

3. There are companies in remote parts of the country that are hiring, if you have any wanderlust, apply to them. One that comes to mind is Wal-Mart. Now Bentonville, Arkansas may not satisfy your need for wanderlust, but they are hiring. Some of the large credit card companies have operations in South Dakota.

4. Research the type of company you want to work for…forget saying “I just have to get a job”.

5. While you have the time, dare to dream about what would be the perfect company. Go to the library and research. Which are the best companies in Houston, Texas, and the US to work for? Do those companies resonate with you? If so, see if you have contacts there through alums, parents etc.

6. Volunteer a few hours a week. It will make you realize how lucky you are, allow you to meet new people, and provide a beneficial diversion to your job search challenges.

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In my 35 years of recruiting, I can’t remember a happy ending to a case where an individual resigned and then accepted a counter offer to stay at his or her current employer. Why is that? Counter offers usually don’t address the underlying reasons why people want to leave their current positions.

Individuals change jobs for a variety of reasons. Their current role may lack intellectual stimulation, career development or progression opportunities. He or she may lack a cultural fit with the manager or organization. Or the executive may be tired of a long commute or an intense travel schedule and want a better work-life balance. Compensation is usually the last reason people leave their current positions or not even a factor at all.

Compensation is usually the last reason people leave their current positions or not even a factor at all.

Ironically, counter offers are almost always only about money. Companies may match or even go beyond the new offer to try to convince the person to stay. However, most other “promises” to address the driving force behind the decision to leave are simply “false promises,” and the reasons the employee had for searching for new employment in the first place do not go away.

If the reason was cultural fit, the company will rarely change its organizational structure or culture for one person. Even if management sincerely wanted to, effecting organizational change is a challenge that takes a great deal of time and effort. If the reason was lack of intellectual stimulation or professional development opportunities, the company would have promoted the person before he or she resigned and on its own terms.

According to one 2018 survey, 58 percent of managers make counteroffers to retain employees who receive job offers from other employers. How long do employees who accept a counter offer stay with the company? “Less than two years,” was the average response, according to the same survey. Counter offers are nothing more than a quick fix—a band-aid that gives a company time to assess the situation and determine the best action to take. Ultimately, the end result is often the same: the person is replaced or leaves.

Counter offers are nothing more than a quick fix—a band-aid that gives a company time to assess the situation and determine the best action to take.

If you are the recipient of a counter offer, be aware and follow your gut. If your instinct is to leave for another opportunity, stick to your decision and go. Be excited to look ahead. Of course, resign with grace and always keep the door open, as we’ve written about before. Sideline any objections with a clear and confident explanation that covers where, when and why you are leaving. Once you make the announcement, you are basically past tense in the eyes of the organization, but you will always be remembered for how you left. Keep all bridges intact. Times have changed over the years; and it is now acceptable to return to a former employer in a more senior role after having gained additional experience elsewhere.

If you are the employer contemplating extending a counter offer, be sure to think through the long-term implications. If you really desire to retain the individual for the long term, how will a restructured role or compensation package effect the organization? Will it positively or negatively impact your succession planning process? Will it upset internal parity? Can you sincerely address the fundamental reasons that caused the person to resign in the first place? If not, then congratulate the individual and keep the lines of communication open. This way, if an opportunity presents itself at some point in the future for the person to be invited to come back, he or she may do just that.

Article updated September 30, 2019

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Our firm has just completed a two-year stint as a columnist for CIO.com (the online newspaper for information technology professionals). For our column, “The Hiring Manager,” we interviewed top Chief Information Officers from companies large and small: Starbucks and the U.S. Golf Association; new and old: Facebook and The Harvard Business School; fun and not fun: Harrah’s Casino and MD Anderson; flying high and digging out from a low: US Air and AIG. Collectively, these executives have hired thousands of managers. We asked them, “What have you learned about hiring?” “Can you teach someone how to make good hiring decisions?” “What can you share that would help a job seeker in today’s market?” And, “What was the worst interview you ever had?”

For those looking for the one piece of advice that may land you that coveted job, these may work:

• Every CIO commented that he or she is impressed by candidates who not only do research on the position and employer, but also show they care about the position. “I want someone who realizes that it is important to understand our company so that person can maximize the interview time for himself or herself and me,” said one CIO. Another instructed candidates, “Come prepared with good questions: ‘How do you measure success?’ ‘How do you like to manage?’ ‘What are your priorities?'”
• Prepare for questions you may be asked. For example, if you have had a number of job changes in the past several years, expect to be asked about it and have a concise, well thought out answer. If there are projects or departments you have managed, be prepared with numbers to back up your accomplishments without being boring. The goal is to strike a balance between offering substantive facts and not inundating your interviewer with number overload.
• Dress appropriately. While this seems like a no-brainer, many CIOs counseled that showing up overdressed can be as bad as dressing too casual. One CIO commented that his software company is a business casual environment, and if a candidate arrived in a suit, he would conclude that the candidate had not done appropriate research on the culture of the company. Bottom line: do not be afraid to call and ask what is appropriate.
• Read your audience. In addition to being prepared, read the body language of the interviewer and observe the details. Some interviewers like to make small talk as a way of getting to know you. Is the interviewer’s office filled with pictures and memorabilia? Most people put pictures on their walls as a statement about who they are, where they have been, what they do. Don’t be afraid to comment on them, especially if it allows you to establish a common ground. The second part of reading your audience is to let them direct the conversation. Some interviewers are comfortable spending 15 minutes discussing your mutual love of golf and their golf trophies, while others would see that as excessive. Good interviewees follow the lead of their interviewers.
• Use your interview time wisely. One of the biggest mistakes interviewees make is to take too long to explain accomplishments or answer questions. One CIO always asks candidates to give her some context to their resume. She says how candidates answer this question tells her how they budget their time, what is important to them and how they communicate. She advises candidates to ask, “Will you tell me if I’m giving you too much or too little detail?”
• Ask for feedback. Several executives commented that they are impressed by the candidate who, at the end of the interview, asks, “How do you assess my background in light of the requirements of the position?” If you do ask for feedback, do it in a confident, yet non-threatening manner.
• Thank you notes and follow up. While most executives conceded that a thank you note will not alone get someone a position, all agreed that it did not hurt. One executive recounted an instance where the candidate was not qualified for a position but wrote such a gracious thank you note that the CIO kept it, and when a different position arose, contacted the candidate for the position.
• If you do not get a position, ask for feedback on your interview from the HR department or the search firm. Interviewing is an art and a skill. Use each interview as a learning experience. The interview that did not go well can be a great lesson for the next interview.

Last week, we covered five tips for first-time board members who are preparing for their first board meeting. There is a lot to learn—both about the company and its culture, as well as the board and its culture. Continuing last week’s column, here are more suggestions on how to be an effective, productive part of a company’s board.

6. Be prepared

Study and assimilate each meeting’s materials that the company has sent you, and do so before the meeting. Don’t use meeting time to read materials you had received in advance. It will be embarrassing for you and annoying to others if you appear inattentive and disinterested, or if you ask a question that was answered in the board materials. Be attentive during meetings—listen, observe and think.

7. Observe and use your wisdom and instincts.

Directors should exercise their wisdom. Being wise involves more than intelligence and good instincts: it requires knowledge, experience, observation, and assessment. This combination of skills and talents produces judgment that, over sufficient time, can lead to wisdom. You have already developed business acumen, but to become a wise director, you must learn how to hone your observation skills.

A wise person once said that you have two eyes and ears, but only one mouth; use them accordingly. Listen and observe at least twice as much as you talk. This is particularly applicable for your first few board meetings, when you are learning not only about the company, but about how the board works in practice—the personalities, the dynamics, and how the directors interact with each other and with the executive team.

Observe the board’s social culture, that is, the relationships and interactions among directors, themselves, and with the company’s management. What are the board’s unwritten rules and traditions? Does it have a developed “style” or way of conducting its business? Just how formal or informal, courtly or direct, are these interactions? A board’s social culture can vary greatly by industry, geography, and the company’s age. A Silicon Valley tech company’s board may operate and interact much more informally than a hundred-year-old northeastern industrial company’s board.

Do directors seek consensus, or do they move rapidly to a vote? Are there factions on the board? There can be, particularly when various constituencies like unions or large shareholders have won representation. If the board is consensus-driven, think about how you can use your facilitation skills in helping arrive at consensus; if it is decision-driven, think about how you can help sharpen the issue and state the question.

Remain observant before you enter and after you leave the boardroom. Many boards have a directors’ dinner prior to the board meeting. Do they use the time to discuss business or is it more about building relationships? One new director of a manufacturing company got off on the wrong foot by monopolizing dinner conversation talking about his gun hobby when the board typically used the board dinner to continue discussing company matters. He should have listened before “pulling the trigger.”

8. Understand your role, the board’s role, and management’s role.

A common mistake that new directors make is not knowing the difference between management’s role and the board’s role. We all know that officers manage a company and run its operations, and that directors oversee management on behalf of the shareholders and authorize and approve certain actions as law or stock exchange rules may require. Your questions and comments should reflect that you are performing this oversight role.

Directors are elected by the shareholders to represent the shareholders’ collective interests—not the interests of the CEO and not the interests of any particular shareholder or group of shareholders, with some rare exceptions. Again, your questions and comments should reflect that you are performing your oversight role on behalf of all shareholders, and not any particular faction or constituency.

While we are on this subject, one gripe we hear from senior management is that some board members try to foist their friends who are consultants or attorneys on the company when not requested. One CEO complained about a board member who asked management to meet with management consultants to whom he owed favors. These special favors waste management’s time and are not needed and inappropriate. Similarly, don’t recommend friends, contacts, or family for positions with the company unless asked.

9. Don’t point out every inconsequential error.

As a board member, you will be bombarded with information, data, and reports. Inevitably, you will find a few typos or numbers that don’t match up. Avoid wasting time by bringing up every mistake that you encounter. “Senior management is under a tremendous time pressure to get these board packages out, and they’re usually voluminous,” an experienced board director told us. “There are going to be inconsistencies in the data between when the CFO put his page together and the COO put his page together.” Focus on what is material, and don’t dwell on the inconsequential.

10. Ask for a mentor.

Many boards offer a formal on-boarding program and orientation for new board members. If your board does not have one, ask the Chairman, Lead Director or Chairman of the Nominating & Governance Committee for a mentor to help you assimilate quickly into the board.

11. The company’s employees are not your employees.

When you ask management for something—especially when it is for you—be cognizant of what you are asking for. Is it important to you performing your role as a director? Is it time-sensitive? Realize that management drops everything when directors ask for something. Be sensitive to their time.

12. Be available, and be of service.

One of the most common complaints we hear about board directors is that getting them together outside of scheduled board meetings can be like “herding cats.” Many board members are retired and serve on other boards, while others are still working. Everyone has demands on his or her time, but to be a successful board director, you must be available and responsive outside of meetings. Your responsibilities to the company shareholders and the board do not end when you walk out of the boardroom.

Likewise, don’t be afraid to go above and beyond the call of duty. One CEO raved about his new director because the director had asked if he could visit stores with the CEO after the board meeting. Another new board member of a company that was making a major acquisition told the CEO that if it would be helpful, she would be pleased to meet with the management team to share her experience with a similar type of transaction. As a board director, seek out ways to demonstrate that you are engaged and committed.

Continue reading for more expert advice on effectively communicating as a board director.

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Over the years, we have definitely seen our fair share of wacky interview questions here at The Alexander Group (TAG). Some, like the client who asked business continuity candidates how they would keep their lawyers in the building following the recent East Coast earthquake, are spot-on and give real-life examples of how the candidate deals with stress. Others like, “If you were shrunk to the size of a pencil and put in a blender, how would you get out?” (reportedly from Deloitte), seem just a little less relevant.

We believe by asking the right interview questions, an employer can avoid some of these hiring mistakes by getting a picture of who the candidate is at their core and how well they will be able to become an integral part of your organization. Here are a few of the basic questions we often ask and we recommend to our clients in order to avoid one of those dreaded hiring mistakes.

1. What three adjectives best describe you? This simple question can provide speedy insight into how a candidate operates (or how they would like to operate). Not only will someone list whatever they believe are their most impressive attributes, you’ll also get the ones that come to mind first. Did they say they are inclusive? Decisive? Purposeful? As a firm, TAG has been asking this question for twenty years, and no one ever responds with the same three adjectives.

Depending on what kind of leader you’re looking for, this question gives quick insight into what the candidate thinks of themselves in a business setting. Watch out for the candidate who can’t come up with three words, however. We remember a candidate for CFO position with a highly entrepreneurial, rapidly growing company who sat in total silence for an entire two minutes before responding with “thoughtful” and “methodical” (well no kidding!). He then asked if he could email us later with a third adjective. Given the fast-paced atmosphere at the company, it should come as no surprise that we did not move forward with him for this role.

2. In just five minutes, tell us about yourself (and start at the beginning). We like to begin an interview with this question. It allows the candidate to hit the highlights, but if you’ve read their resume, you already know those. What the answer really tells the interviewer is how good the candidate is at listening and following direction. A candidate who actually followed your instruction within the five minute time frame is a rare gem. After all, you don’t want to be sitting there 40 minutes later, while the candidate still prattles on about their high school marching band. Having them start with their childhood may also help you understand what their lifelong passions are. We recently had a candidate whose loss of his father to a brain tumor at a young age inspired him to pursue a career in neuroscience. Understand what makes your candidate tick at a personal level, and you can get a feel for what will be important once they are making decisions for your company.

3. What is your management style? And how do you like to be managed? One of the most challenging aspects of bringing a new executive into your organization can be meshing their (new) leadership style with the existing philosophy. For example, some of my colleagues once interviewed a candidate who responded that he was not a micro-manager; in fact, he liked to spend as little time dealing with his direct reports as possible. Unfortunately for the candidate, the client’s company culture was particularly collaborative and they were looking for someone who was willing to get down in the trenches with his team. Needless to say, he didn’t get the position.

4. What has been the hardest time in your career? This is a great question to see how the candidate has been able to handle sticky situations or overcome difficult hurdles. Do they describe it with humility and tell you how they solved the issue, or do they pass the blame to others or chalk it up to circumstances “beyond their control”? A great candidate will also be able to tell you how it made them a better person and strengthened their career.

Of course, the answers to questions like these may make that hiring decision more paralyzing than ever if you aren’t quite sure what kind of person you’re looking for. While measurable skills and past career successes may be exactly what you’re looking for on paper, you’ll be back at that interview table again in a year if you can’t articulate what personality traits will be most effective in your organization.

To identify these characteristics, ask the questions above of your own organization. What are three adjectives that describe your culture? Is the structure highly matrixed or does management have more of a top-down approach? What has been the greatest challenge in recent years, and how did your organization approach it?

By recognizing how the company operates from a motivation and community standpoint, you’ll be able to identify your front-runner candidate who will want to put their whole heart into the position.

All of us have friends, family or co-workers who just seem unable to find that next position. Although The Alexander Group is not on that side of the placement business, we have counseled untold numbers of executives seeking positions. Here are six tips you can offer your friends that will make you seem like the guru of career counseling.

1. Re-evaluate your resume.

Ask friends, especially those who are in human resources or any type of writing field to critique your resume. It is very difficult to prepare your own resume. Remember that a resume should show how you made your company a better place. Hiring managers are interested in a resume that outlines not just responsibilities, but quantifiable achievements. If you have a broad background, you may need more than one resume depending on the position for which you are being considered

2. Get fit.

Once you get your resume into shape, it’s time to get yourself into shape. Use the extra time you always wished you’d had to get to the gym, the tennis court, the yoga studio, or just outside for a long walk. The benefits of a workout regimen while you are job searching are numerous. First of all, it can lend some structure to your day that you might be missing without a full time job. By marking it on the calendar, you’ll know you have something you can plan your day around. Secondly, getting those endorphins going will reduce your stress and provide a boost to your mood. Last but not least, the physical benefits of getting in shape will make you feel strong, confident, and increase your self-esteem during a challenging time. Working out and making sure you have a strong body is one thing you can control when other parts of your life are unpredictable.

Use LinkedIn.

LinkedIn is a tremendously important tool for many career-related purposes: getting new business, checking references, following particular companies, locating people from your past. Many believe that it is enough to be registered on LinkedIn. Not so. As we’ve written about before, anyone seeking a new position should have a picture, a fully completed profile and should be aggressively adding contacts.

We recommend spending a minimum of 30 minutes to an hour of each day reaching out to potential contacts such as search firm professionals, past and present business contacts, former managers, classmates, friends, etc. Additionally, add a couple of recommendations from past managers or co-workers and join academic and/or corporate alumni groups. Spend time examining the connections of your contacts. Do any of your current contacts have friends who could possibly help you? Use Google to find articles on how to use LinkedIn in your job search. If your job seeking friend cannot do all of the things mentioned above, then they are running a race blindfolded.

Understand what recruiters can and cannot do.

Most people misunderstand what recruiters and executive search professionals can and cannot do for them; this is especially the case for retained executive search firms. We often hear complaints from job seekers that Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds—and any other retained firms you can name—refused to meet with them. But please understand that there is a distinction between recruiters and headhunters. Headhunters represent candidates. Recruiters represent the hiring organization and—in the case of a retained search firm—are retained to identify and recruit talent for a specific position. Given a choice between meeting the needs of an existing client, meeting with a prospective client, or advising a job seeker, most of the time, job seekers come last.

There is an exception to this rule: If you or your company had a relationship with a search firm before you were unemployed, then the above should not apply. Search firms are interested in relationships, and if you have given a search firm business, don’t hesitate to ask them for help reviewing your resume and introducing you to other partners in their firm. They owe you. And if a retained search firm has helped you, don’t thank them by referring all of your other out-of-work friends to them. Thank them by telling them that, once you get a new position, they will get your first search.

Be your own headhunter.

Encourage your friends to embrace introspection, research and responsibility. If you could design your own position, where and what would it look like? Can you think of specific companies that attract you? Do you know anyone at these companies? Some will say “I just want to get back to work again”. But, if you are not working, why not spend time thinking about and researching what type of company would be a fit for you. After all, who knows what makes you happier better than you? Job seekers must assume responsibility for their job search, at least in terms of being clear on what they want. Don’t assume a new position will fall into your lap. Do not be afraid to send your resume directly to the president or board member of the company. It may be better received coming from you rather than a recruiter.

Don’t get discouraged.

It is hard not to get discouraged, believe that your networking efforts are not working or, worse, take the rejection personally. As an old friend said to me, “There have never been two winters in a row.” Nothing lasts forever—including your current job (or unemployment) stress. Approach your search for a new position as a gardener approaches planting flowers. Not all flowers or leads may bloom. With bad weather conditions (i.e. the economy), maybe only one flower or lead will bloom. But, this should not stop you from continuing to plant the seeds or reaching out to new contacts because it only takes one for a new opportunity. The next contact you make may be the one.

Ask for help—both personally and professionally. Many find it hard to reach out and say “I’m struggling and feeling despondent.” They think it denotes weakness. Force yourself to reach out to friends for reinforcement and encouragement and vow to yourself that you will give the same support to others. You cannot get what you don’t give.