Executive Search with Depth — Part VIII:
Contract Signed? Our Job Goes On!

Client and candi­date have reached an agree­ment, their signa­tures seal the contract. For many, this would already count as a success­ful close. Not so at Valdivia! In our Exec­u­tive Search Process,  sign­ing the contract only kicks off anoth­er, an espe­cial­ly sensi­tive stage of our work. This illus­trates the special level of respon­si­bil­i­ty with which we approach our job.

Your Compan­ion in Stormy Weather 

Termi­nat­ing your previ­ous employ­ment contract is an executive’s Cape Horn of chang­ing posi­tions. Some­times some tail­wind will be of help; the previ­ous employ­er can relate to your wish to change, maybe even sees the oppor­tu­ni­ty of a fresh start. Many enter­pris­es, howev­er, are not will­ing to let their high-perfomers leave just like that. They will make offers, mention tempt­ing numbers. Sad faces will evoke moral doubts. There was this one head of a compa­ny who special­ly came flying over in order to person­al­ly fight for an employ­ee who was about to leave. Disbur­sal of compa­ny shares can pose a anoth­er challenge.

We stand by our candi­dates’ side at any time during this crucial peri­od, even if takes months in some cases. First of all, we prepare them, do dry-runs of all kinds of scenar­ios with them: How will the company’s manage­ment respond to the news? And how about your own team? Thanks to our expe­ri­ence and the results of the Profile Analy­sis, we know our candi­dates well. This way, we can tell how best to achieve sepa­ra­tion from the current employ­ment with­out any pres­sure or moral qualms. And when hell does break lose, we will be read­i­ly avail­able as a counsellor.

Our Respon­si­bilty Has No Expiry Date

Next, the on-board­ing peri­od begins – join­ing the new enter­prise and inte­grat­ing. In the Valdivia Exec­u­tive Search Process, this is the final step. Howev­er, there is no pre-arranged ending date. Much rather, we regard this as part of our respon­si­bilty: being a compan­ion to the exec­u­tive while adapt­ing to the new role. Part of this is to sit down and talk to all involved parties at certain inter­vals – this can go so deep that many a long-term busi­ness friend­ship has orig­i­nat­ed there.

In most cases, this is a smooth process; after all, we have put in a lot of prepara­to­ry work before­hand. And yet, some things cannot be antic­i­pat­ed. Indi­vid­ual misjudge­ment or unex­pect­ed influ­ences from the outside can all of a sudden impede inte­gra­tion. This is where our expe­ri­ence comes in to help us find solu­tions and put the inte­gra­tion process back on track – provid­ed we have been informed in a time­ly and trust­ing manner!

A Foun­da­tion of Trust and Expe­ri­ence – the Valdivia Exec­u­tive Search Process

Actu­al­ly, besides expe­ri­ence, trust is our most impor­tant foun­da­tion. With­out both our clients’ and our candi­dates‘ faith in us, we would not be able to do our job. So it is one of Valdivia’s prin­ci­ples to never forget the giving that goes with the taking: As a matter of prin­ci­ple, we will not accept mandates from our clients’ employ­ees with­out them know­ing about it. For it is the thor­ough trans­paren­cy of our work that forms the basis on which our trust­wor­thi­ness is built. Togeth­er with our know-how and the system­at­ic struc­ture, it is this trans­paren­cy that makes the Valdivia Exec­u­tive Search Process so special – which is also what our Inter­nal Series here is aiming at.