This article was inspired by a true story of a top-flight corporate communications executive who was completely focused on meeting the needs of her organization. She hardly gave any thought to the seemingly innocuous call from a polite and cordial “headhunter” (and the word really applies in this case) who wanted to take her to lunch. Here is how the story played out along with the behind-the-scenes dynamics. 

Before the story unfolds, here are several “rules” of the road. The first operating principle in dealing with executive search consultants who work at the CEO and “C” levels is that nothing they do in the line of work is casual. There is no such thing as being nice for nice sake. There is always an agenda. These folks make seven figure salaries and they do not waste their time. The reason they earn these fees is because they have all the skills and talents to woo the brightest and the best for their clients. 

They are smart, sophisticated, excellent judges of character and know how to maneuver the people that they deem worthy of their attention in their client’s direction. They use flattery, logic and a light touch to keep the stress out of their “pitch” to woo a potential candidate. If there is too much pressure applied to a busy and harried candidate, s/he will simply not participate. The goal is to ensnare a candidate so that s/he becomes a finalist for a job before any serious thought has been given to whether or not s/he is “in play.” 

The second principle is do not underestimate the amount of time and research that has gone into selecting you as a possible candidate the CEO would like to hire. The largest search firms have senior partners with long-term relationships with the CEOs of major corporations. Those relationships are built on trust and knowing the characteristics that are important to the head of the company. Using networks built upon years of work and personal recommendations from other leaders, an “A” list is formed and certain names come up again and again. It is never hard to find out a great deal about a potential candidate with the networks these search firms have. 

Now, back to my client and the story.

The top communications/IR executives I know are all working at maximum capacity. They are trusted by the heads of their companies and they participate in strategic business decisions as well as lead and manage their departments. They are generally thinking about company issues and devoting little or no attention to their own career paths. That is not necessarily a negative, since their success will be recognized either within the organization and/or noted by companies who recognize excellence in communications/IR programs. 

My client was no exception; she was completely engaged in her work when the phone rang. The call was from a senior associate at a well-respected global search firm. He was coming to town, “heard good things about her” and offered to take her to lunch. She protested that she was not job hunting and not ready to consider a move. Still, she wondered if she should take him up on his offer. He was very charming, said he would like to meet her and that it was no problem that she was not job hunting. Having stated her position and knowing she was being completely honest about her situation, she felt there was nothing to lose by accepting the luncheon invitation. After all, she thought, it was just lunch. 

The meeting was a contrived event.

 What she didn’t know was that this search executive didn’t just happen to be in town and free to take her to lunch. It was all contrived to make it appear quite casual, but his goal was to determine if she was as good as he had heard and if he felt she would impress the CEO he represented. If he felt she wasn’t the right fit, it would have ended with a polite thank you. 

The lunch went well from the search associate’s perspective and he could now put all the pieces together: the candidate lived up to her reputation, it appeared the “fit” was really good and she now moved up the list as one of the top prospects for a post reporting directly to the CEO. Meanwhile, the only thought my client gave to the situation was that it was a pleasant lunch and perhaps an investment in the future. 

After a few days, the search executive called back to say there is a job working for a top CEO of an organization with all sorts of interesting challenges. He flattered her and said his client understood that she was not really looking but that several people in the organization would like to get to know her and talk about the position. He assured her that his client knew she was not a serious candidate but there was no harm in a few conversations. 

Easing into the second round

With little reflection about what she was possibly committing to, she agreed to have a talk with a few of the key executives of the company. This was arranged via phone over the course of several days. All along, in her mind, these were not serious conversations about taking a job, since she has told them she is not “looking at making a move.” Her conscience is clear; she has made no false representations about her intentions. She is simply discussing a position with no commitment of any kind. 

These conversations occur and once again, the leadership team is impressed. The search consultant continues to stay in touch with her, reassuring her she is talented and the executives she talked to were delighted to get to know her. The game continues with the search executive specifically not saying, “We are seriously considering you for the position.” That would set off alarms with my client who is still thinking this is just a casual situation. 

Becoming a finalist

Meanwhile, the search executive is huddling with his client. They are looking at a short list of top prospects and my client is one of the finalists. While she thinks she has done nothing that would encourage them to think she is interested, they are plotting a strategy to present her to the CEO. 

It seems hard to imagine that someone as capable and talented as my client would naively think this is not a serious situation. However, I can assure you, that is precisely what she was thinking. Part of the reason was the lack of any clear line of demarcation between being a “shopper” and a “serious candidate.” This was a line that was purposely blurred so that there would be no concern about the path she was on.

There was never a moment in this process where she stopped to say, “This is getting serious; I need to decide if I want to move ahead.” Each time when she said she was not job hunting, they agreed with her. She was proceeding through a normal interviewing process without having to commit to being a candidate. The search executive and his client were willing to invest the time into convincing my client that she should take the job if she were their finalist. They knew that at the offer stage, there was a risk that she would, at long last, examine the situation seriously and turn them down. They were confident, however, that they were presenting their opportunity persuasively and expected she would accept the job. 

How could she meet the CEO and not be a candidate?

 Since this job reported to the CEO, the search executive could not determine if my client were the finalist for the position until she could meet him. Since she was not a “formal” candidate, he could not suggest she take time off from work to travel and then spend a day at company headquarters. 

It appeared that she was the first choice for the position assuming the chemistry was “right” with the CEO. Yet, she had made no commitment about taking the job. Here is how the search executive maneuvered her into the meeting with the CEO. 

He had laid the groundwork for this next step. He had already discussed the position with my client and she was aware it was an appealing opportunity. One of the “selling points” about the job was that it was critical to the CEO. He was looking for an advisor/strategist as his Corporate VP of Communications. 

The CEO is an “enlightened” leader and being invited to meet someone of that caliber is intriguing and a special opportunity. The search executive mentions that the CEO is aware of my client and impressed with her credentials. He also says the CEO will be in town. He is flying in for a meeting locally and could set up an appointment with her. 

The search executive does not demand that my client commit to being a candidate. He says this would be a meeting to see how they feel about each other. He is now closing in on her and hinting that there could be serious interest. He is preparing her for a potential offer (which he expects to extend if all goes as anticipated). He still leaves the door open (in how he positions the interview) for this to be an exploratory meeting. 

For my client, the attention and interest on the part of the CEO is too appealing to turn down. The search consultant has given her some wiggle room to feel she is still not pursuing a position. And, she is meeting him on her turf.

In the course of the interview, the CEO treats the candidate as a finalist. He talks about the position and what are the challenges and opportunities with the company. He is persuasive, charming and powerful. He knows she has been eased into this interview but now delivers the message that he would like to hire her. This is the first instance where she realizes she is “in play.” The CEO requests references anticipating an offer will be extended.  

My client is impressed and swayed by the CEO. She begins the process of asking for references.

Let’s pause to analyze the situation. Here is a top communications executive (which is why she was sought after), respected by industry leaders for her excellent work, that surprise, surprise, finds herself meeting the CEO.  She is about to be offered a position she never knew she wanted in an industry (upon reflection) that was not of compelling interest.

Why would she want to accept an offer? The answer is not for very good reasons. She never considered herself a “serious” candidate until she reached the final stages of the search when she was meeting with a charismatic CEO. Also, she had never stopped to analyze the situation beyond the surface assurances that this was an exploratory process.

Four rules to avoid being led to the altar

Here are a few rules that should never be broken if you are to avoid this situation. First, a “get to know the headhunter” meeting, (assuming the headhunter is reliable) is always a good idea. Second, if the search consultant mentions a client and a potential opportunity (even an exploratory one), do not explore it further until you know how you feel about a change. Third, take the time to decide if you are ready to start a process that will require time and commitment if handled professionally. Fourth, if you are open to making a change, what does that need to look like? Without that grounding, it is easy to be swept away by experts who will flatter and maneuver you in directions you never intended to go.

Do not assume that you will be able to withdraw as a candidate anywhere along the interviewing trail if it does not “work out.” That lack of clarity will lead to confusion, escalate the time wasted and add stress to the decision that you will ultimately make. In the end, if you should not be making a move, you will, hopefully, pay attention to your “gut” and say “no.”

The endgame

Now, back to my client. She was at the point where she knew an offer was the next step. She was asked for references and began the process of contacting the CEOs and leaders she had worked for in the past. It appeared that despite her exploratory, non-committal approach to this process, she was “sold” on this new job.  The search consultant had done his job well.

In a strange turn of events, my client talked to her former CEO (she reported to him directly) about the new opportunity. This CEO did not know she was open to making a move until she asked him to be a reference. Within a day, the CEO, who was now leading a major corporation in an industry segment my client knew well, offered her a VP Corporate Communications position. His vision was to change the corporate culture and use communications as a strategic part of the effort.  

It was only then that she realized this new opportunity was precisely a fit and the other position was nowhere as good a situation for her. She accepted the second offer immediately.  She was extremely lucky that she was able to make the right choice and she has been wildly successful.

The moral to this story is, don’t underestimate the search game and where you could end up. Look at the underlying mechanics and expect that everyone has an agenda.

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