Category Archives: Hiring Insights

The Compensation Conversation: When and How to Discuss Money With Executives

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I spend much of my time on exactly this question, and the conventional wisdom around it is only half right. Employers handle the money conversation with executives in one of two ways: they avoid it until the end […]

The Reference Check Nobody Does: Talking to Former Direct Reports

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I want to lay out what actually works here, because the gap between common practice and best practice on this topic is wide. Reference checking is treated as a formality, a final call to references the candidate […]

The Listening Tour: A New Executive’s First 30 Days Done Right

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I want to lay out what actually works here, because the gap between common practice and best practice on this topic is wide. The pressure on a new executive to act immediately is intense, from themselves and from […]

Exit-Ready Leadership: Building a Team That Increases Enterprise Value

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, this is one of the questions employers bring me most often, and my answer has been sharpened by seeing what separates the searches that succeed from the ones that don’t. When owners prepare a company for sale, […]

The CEO Evaluation: How Boards Should Review Chief Executive Performance

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I spend much of my time on exactly this question, and the conventional wisdom around it is only half right. Boards evaluate the CEO less rigorously than the CEO evaluates their own reports, often through a vague […]

International Expansion Hiring: Your First US Executive as a Foreign Company

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, this is one of the questions employers bring me most often, and my answer has been sharpened by seeing what separates the searches that succeed from the ones that don’t. A foreign company entering the US market […]

Equity for Non-Founders: Making Ownership Meaningful to Hired Executives

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, this is one of the questions employers bring me most often, and my answer has been sharpened by seeing what separates the searches that succeed from the ones that don’t. Companies extend equity to hired executives […]

How to Weight Interview Feedback When Your Panel Disagrees

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I spend much of my time on exactly this question, and the conventional wisdom around it is only half right. When an interview panel disagrees about a candidate, employers tend to average the opinions or defer to […]

Early Wins: Helping New Executives Score Points Without Breaking Things

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I have watched this play out across hundreds of executive searches, and the pattern is clear enough to write down. A new executive needs early wins to build credibility and momentum, but the pursuit of them causes […]

The Leadership Due Diligence Report: What Acquirers Really Look For

As Global Head of Research & Leadership Advisory at JRG Partners, I spend much of my time on exactly this question, and the conventional wisdom around it is only half right. Financial and legal due diligence are rigorous and standard; leadership due diligence is often an […]