Archive for category Finding A Headhunter
Finale kwijting in een beëindigingsregeling toch niet zo finaal?
Posted by Anne Holdrinet in Arbeidsrecht, Ontslagvergoeding on February 10, 2010
Een interessant vonnis van de kantonrechter Amsterdam van 14 januari 2010 (uitspraak nog niet gepubliceerd))
Feiten:
Op initiatief van ABN-AMRO heeft werknemer een beëindigingsregeling getroffen, waarin aan de werknemer een vergoeding van € 628.965 bruto (richtlijn ‘kantonrechtersformule met C=1) wordt toegekend. Daarnaast hebben de werknemer en de ABN-AMRO in een vaststellingsovereenkomst afspraken gemaakt over de eindafrekening van de arbeidsvoorwaarden waaronder: vakantie-uren/toeslagen, bonus/winstuitkering volgens de geldende CAO, hypothecaire lening en lease-auto enz. In deze vaststellingsovereenkomst zijn werknemer en ABN-AMRO finale kwijting overeengekomen. Over de optieregeling waarop de werknemer recht heeft, is echter niets opgenomen. Werknemer vorder alsnog uitbetaling daarvan. Dit komt volgens hem neer op een bedrag ad € 86.531. ABN-AMRO voert hiertegen verweer en stelt dat de opties verleden tijd zijn aangezien partijen elkaar in de vaststellingsovereenkomst finale kwijting hebben verleend. Werknemer bestrijdt dit met een beroep op Haviltex-criteria (JAR 2004/255)
Oordeel Kantonrechter:
De kantonrechter overweegt dat het in het genoemde ‘Haviltex-arrest uit 2004 (ook) ging om de vraag of een bepaald element van de vaststellingsovereenkomst (pensioen-schade) in de algehele kwijting moest worden begrepen of niet. Het verschil met de onderhavige zaak is dat de pensioenkwestie daar in de onderhandelingen tussen werkgever en werknemer wèl aan de orde was geweest en uiteindelijk niet in de vaststellingsovereenkomst. In onderhavige zaak hebben partijen niet over de opties gesproken. Op grond hiervan beslist de kantonrechter dat ABN-AMRO niet in redelijkheid heeft mogen verwachten dat de werknemer zijn aanspraken op de hem verleende opties heeft laten varen. Dit heeft tot gevolg dat de finale kwijting niet de eventuele aanspraken op de opties omvat. Het lag volgens de kantonrechter op de weg van ABN-AMRO om de opties in het overleg naar voren te brengen (op basis van het beginsel van ‘goed werkgeverschap’).
De hoogte van de schadevergoeding is lastig vast te stellen omdar er een groot aantal factoren van onzekerheid is. Het blijft immers volgens de kantonrechter lastig omdat onduidelijk is hoe dit overleg zou zijn verlopen en wat de uiteindelijke inhoud van de vaststellingssovereenkomst zou zijn geweest als de opties wel onderwerp van overleg zou zijn geweest. Aangezien de schade bij gebreke van verdere concrete gegevens niet kan worden berekend en evenmin een redelijke schatting mogelijk is, dient een vergoeding naar mate van redelijkheid en billijkheid te worden toegekend. Gelet op de verwijtbaarheid van de ABN-AMRO, berekening van theoretische waarde van de opties, de inhoud van de vaststellingsovereenkomst en de wijze waarop deze tot stand is gekomen, vindt de kantonrechter een vergoeding van € 20.000 redelijk.
Conclusie: finale kwijting is dus niet zo finaal als er over een arbeidsvoorwaarde tijdens de onderhandelingen niet is gesproken…
Ontslagvergoeding storten in een Stamrecht BV
Posted by Robert Jan Veenstra in Ontslagvergoeding on February 8, 2010
Een Stamrecht BV is één van de vier mogelijkheden om een ontslagvergoeding aan te wenden. Direct afrekenen met de fiscus, het afsluiten van een direct ingaande lijfrente of uitgestelde lijfrente zijn de andere drie opties om een ontslagvergoeding aan te wenden.
Een stamrecht BV is een besloten vennootschap die een werknemer opricht om gebruik te kunnen maken van de stamrechtvrijstelling van de Nederlandse fiscus. Volgens de normen van de fiscus kan een stamrecht BV in Nederland gezien worden als een “dekkende levensverzekeraar”. Een werknemer kan zijn/haar ontslagvergoeding in de stamrecht BV onderbrengen. Niet de ontslaguitkering zelf, maar de periodieke uitkeringen van de BV zijn dan belast. Dit kan voor de werknemer fiscaal gunstiger zijn.
De houder van een stamrecht BV dient loonheffing in te houden op de periodieke uitkeringen. Als de BV winst maakt, dient vennootschapsbelasting betaald te worden
Oprichting
Om een stamrecht BV op te richten moeten de nodige oprichtings activiteiten plaatsvinden, waarvoor men specialisten nodig heeft. Bijvoorbeeld:
- Aanvraag fiscale nummers
- Vastleggen van alle fiscale plichten in statuten
- Vastleggen drie partijen Stamrechtovereenkomst
- Fiscale goedkeuring voor werkgever en voor werknemer
- Verklaring geen bezwaar bij het Ministerie van Justitie
- Bankrekening openen op naam van de BV
Na de oprichting van de stamrecht BV kan de werkgever de volledige ontslagvergoeding in de stamrecht BV zonder inhouding van premies en loonbelasting storten. De stamrecht BV moet voldoen aan strenge fiscale voorwaarden en eisen van de Belastingdienst, de belastingdienst zal die ook toetsen. Mbt de Drie partijen Stamrechtovereenkomst: Er wordt een overeenkomst opgesteld tussen de ex-werkgever, de ex-werknemer en de Stamrecht B.V. waarin staat dat de werkgever het geld rechtstreeks naar de Stamrecht B.V. stort. De Stamrecht B.V. wordt verplicht om loonbelasting in te houden op de Stamrechtuitkeringen die de B.V. te zijner tijd aan de ex-werknemer gaat doen.
De fiscus
De belastingdienst is zeer streng met stamrecht BV’s. De reden hiervan is dat de Belastingdienst nog geld van de stamrecht BV “tegoed” heeft, de belastingdienst wil uiteraard deze clain op nog te ontvangen belastinggeld niet verliezen. Daarom mag een stamrecht BV geen activiteiten ondernemen die de kans op uitkeringen (en dus betaling aan de Belastingdienst) verminderen. Bijvoorbeeld:
- Negatief rendement behalen op stamrecht kapitaal
- Niet betalen van belasting
- Teveel en/of onjuiste kosten opvoeren
Administratieve verplichtingen
Om de Belasingdienst op de hoogte te houden van de activiteiten van de stamrecht BV zijn er een aantal verplichtingen die u heeft nadat u een stamrecht BV hebt opgericht. Bijvoorbeeld:
- Is het stamrechtkapitaal nog aanwezig in de stamrecht BV?
- Zijn de periodieke uitkeringen al gestart?
- Is er geld aanwezig op de bankrekening van de stamrecht BV?
- Of wordt het geld uitgeleend aan privé?
Een belangrijke administratieve verplichting van een stamrecht BV is de aangifte Vennootschapsbelasting. De stamrecht BV moet deze aangifte elk jaar indienen bij de Belastingdienst. Hierbij inbegrepen zijn de jaarrekening en de verlies- en winstrekening. Hiermee kan de Belastingdienst zien of de stamrecht BV winst of verlies maakt. Als er winst gemaakt wordt zal de stamrecht BV vennootschapsbelasting moeten betalen. Winst maken in een stamrecht BV zal niet snel gebeuren, de belastingdienst gaat er vanuit dat u jaarlijks rendement maakt. Hiervoor gebruiken zij een oprentingspercentage van gemiddeld zo’n 4%. U moet dus structureel meer dan 4% rendement behalen om winst te gaan maken. Als u winst gaat maken met het geld in de stamrecht BV dan dient u hierover belasting te betalen, de vennootschapsbelasting van 20-25%.
Wellicht het belangrijkste punt om te onthouden: De Belastingdienst heeft een claim op de te betalen belasting over het oorspronkelijke bedrag in de stamrecht BV, verliest u geld met beleggingen in de stamrecht BV dan zal de claim van de belastingdienst niet(!) lager worden
Nabestaanden regeling
Wat gebeurd er met de stamrecht bv als u komt te overlijden? Bij een lijfrenteverzekering kan het voorkomen dat deze komt te vervallen, of u moet er een aparte aanvullende risicoverzekering op hebben afgesloten, bij een stamrecht bv is dit niet het geval. De maandelijkse uitkeringen moeten wel direct starten als de ex-werknemer komt te overlijden, zodat de maandelijkse uitkeringen dan inkomen zijn voor de nabestaande partner. Een soort van nabestaandenpensioen dus. De partner moet uiteraard wel de belasting betalen over de maandelijkse uitkeringen uit de stamrecht BV. Ook zal de stamrecht BV op naam komen te staan van de nabestaande partner. Mocht er geen nabestaande partner zijn of als beide “ouders” zijn komen te overlijden dan hebben de kinderen recht op de uitkeringen uit de stamrecht BV.
De kosten
Voor een stamrecht BV dient u jaarlijks een jaarrekening en een vennootschapsbelasting-aangifte in te dienen. Ook betaalt u jaarlijks aan de Kamer van Koophandel. U kunt er ook voor kiezen deze administratie uit handen te geven, dit brengt extra kosten met zich mee.
U doet er verstandig aan om goed rond te kijken voor een geschikte partij om u te ondersteunen. De oprichting zal u ongeveer 2500 Euro all in gaan kosten en de jaarlijkse kosten, indien u wordt ondersteund, zullen rond de 600 euro bedragen (ex BTW). Beide bedragen zijn aftrekbaar op het resultaat van de BV.
Let op
Het is van belang dat u voordat het geld door de werkgever gestort is, al heeft aangegeven dat u de afkoopsom als een Stamrecht wenst te ontvangen. Omdat de fiscus kan eisen dat u dit bewijst is het belangrijk om zo snel mogelijk wanneer een afkoopsom aan de orde is, een briefje aan personeelszaken te schrijven dat u de afkoopsom bruto in de vorm van een Stamrecht wenst te ontvangen. Wanneer de som dan toch op uw eigen bankrekening gestort wordt, dient u deze zo snel mogelijk door te storten op de bankrekening van de Stamrecht B.V. of indien de Stamrecht B.V. nog niet opgericht is op een geblokkeerde derdenrekening van een advocaat of notaris.
Vanaf welk bedrag is een Stamrecht BV nuttig?
In het algemeen: Bij een afkoopsom boven de euro 40.000 zullen de kosten van de Stamrecht B.V. waarschijnlijk niet hoger zijn dan de kosten bij afstorting van het Stamrecht bij een verzekeringsmaatschappij. In dat geval kan een Stamrecht B.V. voordelig zijn. Het zal afhangen van het rendement dat u kunt behalen.
Eigen bedrijf starten
Wanneer u een eigen bedrijf wilt opstarten wordt altijd geadviseerd de afkoopsom af te storten bij een eigen Stamrecht B.V.
De Stamrecht B.V. is een uitstekend middel om een eigen bedrijf te beginnen. Stel u heeft recht op een afkoopsom van euro 50.000. Wanneer u afrekent met de fiscus houdt u waarschijnlijk euro 24.000 over om een eigen bedrijf mee te beginnen. Wanneer u het geld laat storten in een Stamrecht B.V. ontstaat ongeveer de volgende situatie:
U kunt de gehele euro 50.000 nu in uw bedrijf investeren (minus oprichtingskosten) in plaats van euro 24.000. Dit kan op verschillende manieren. U kunt het geld gebruiken om een bestaand bedrijf te kopen of om bedrijfsmiddelen te kopen, maar u kunt het Stamrechtkapitaal ook als salaris laten uitkeren in de opstartfase van de onderneming.
Stel dat de onderneming helemaal niet loopt en de Stamrecht B.V. kan het Stamrecht niet uitkeren. Het Stamrecht vervalt daardoor. Omdat het Stamrecht vervalt bent u geen inkomstenbelasting meer verschuldigd over het Stamrecht (NB wanneer u zelf vrijwillig afziet van de Stamrechtuitkeringen is wel inkomstenbelasting verschuldigd, echter dat is hier niet het geval, er is simpelweg geen geld meer om het Stamrecht uit te keren). De fiscus heeft dan dus voor 52% meebetaald aan het ondernemingsverlies (vergeleken met de situatie van direct uitkeren).
Stel dat de onderneming wel loopt, dan maakt de onderneming winst. Deze winst is belast voor de vennootschapsbelasting. Echter de jaarlijkse oprenting van de Stamrechtverplichting komt in aftrek van de gemaakte winst en vormt een leuke aftrekpost.
How recruiters select headhunters
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Executive Search, Finding A Headhunter, Uncategorized on February 7, 2010
How recruiters select headhunters, tells you a lot about how headhunters and recruiters from larger companies select candidates. De following a list of questions recruiters are suggested to use to select a headhunter. Bear in mind that the list is made by a headhunter from Signium international.
1. What is your firm’s industry focuses – who are some of your current clients?
This determining factor allows a hiring organization to assess a firm’s market and functional knowledge relevant to their specific situation and need. One must have confidence that the consultant knows where to look for the top talent, and how to engage and recruit them. This confidence will support a cohesive and functional client/consultant relationship throughout the course of the project.
2. Who will be doing the work; how is your firm structured?
Given the consultative nature of search, it is critical to determine how involved and engaged the lead consultant will be during the course of the project. Will the consultant who sells or ‘pitches’ the assignment do the majority of the work? Is the research and candidate development conducted in-house, or outsourced to a third party? Does the firm have the appropriate project management and communication tools to ensure timely and accurate feedback? Who, exactly, will be accountable for your specific project?
3. How many searches does the consultant handle simultaneously?
Here is a good question to ask as a follow up to the previous discussion. A consultant handling over six or seven projects at one time is average. You need to be comfortable that your project is going to receive the time and attention needed to be a success.
4. What percentages of searches are successfully completed? Is there a guarantee should the placement fail?
The industry average for completing projects is between 65% and 70%. This is partially a result of cases when specifications and/or business conditions change, organizations restructure, or the skill set you seek does not exist. While there are many variables that can affect this number, a reliable number should be in the 75% – 90% range. The key here is to be wary of the consultant who tells you that they have a 100% completion rate. This is not realistic!
Most firms offer at least a one year replacement guarantee, and will replace a candidate who does not work out for expenses only.
5. What are the timing and key milestones of the process?
In most cases, executive level searches take between 90 and 150 days to complete. Most professional and competent firms/consultants will be able to provide you a well defined and detailed outline of their process and timeline. Typically, you should expect a detailed progress review, including a list of pre screened and qualified candidate backgrounds between weeks four and six, and begin to see candidates face to face between weeks six and eight.
Note: Often times searches are lengthened because of candidate availability and scheduling conflicts, especially for those candidates currently employed.
6. What are the firms current “off limits,” i.e., where is a firm blocked from recruiting candidates based on existing client relationships?
This is a critical question to ask either large firms with specialty practice groups, or smaller firms focused on specific functions or market sectors. Firms typically cannot recruit from an existing client for one to two years after an assignment. If a large number of target companies (those where the majority of potential candidates are currently employed) are blocked, your ability to access a strong candidate pool could be severely limited.
You must also ensure that there is agreement with your chosen firm as to the length of time they may not recruit from your organization. Be careful not to let the fox into the hen house.
7. How is candidate quality assured?
The lead consultant needs to have a clear understanding of the performance metrics and evaluation tools that will be used by you and your organization to judge candidates. It is important to have confidence in their abilities to understand both your organization’s culture and the scope and requirements of the position to be filled. The search consultant must function as your agent in the market to both engage and recruit the best available talent. They must have the ability to recruit the best candidate for the job, not the best candidate looking for a job.
8. How and when are references conducted?
This has continually been a key issue and one that is fraught with pitfalls. Consultants must be able to reach beyond just career history and focus references on discussing competency, character and potential. References should be sequenced into the process. We recommend that at least two are done before you decide on a final candidate. This will go a long way in eliminating the possibility of costly and potentially embarrassing problems later in the process! Final references should be checked with a combination of supervisors, peers, and subordinates, and with individuals other than those provided by the candidate. Keep in mind that while you may want to do ‘backdoor’ references yourself, in order to protect a candidate’s privacy, all references should be coordinated through your search consultant.
9. What is the firm’s role in candidate negotiations and closing?
This is a crucial step in the recruitment process, one in which a professional search consultant should be both comfortable and experienced. He/she must be able to effectively negotiate and communicate with both parties to achieve successful outcomes.
10. What are fees and expenses?
Retained firms typically bill between 30% and 33% of a candidate’s first years total cash compensation, paid in three equal installments over the first three months of a search. Most firms bill you for all expenses directly attributable to conducting the search, and some firm’s bill for non-itemized, or communication expenses. Upon request, firms may agree to a flat fee, or a discount based on volume of work. In some cases, firms will tie the timing of their invoices to their successfully attaining specific stage gates during the search process, including linking a portion of the professional fee to the completion of the assignment.
11. Is your firm accredited, are you a member of an Industry Association?
There are several key industry associations for retained Executive Search Firms, the most visible and important being the AESC (Association of Executive Search Consultants). AESC members comprise an elite group of top tiered retained Executive Search Firms. All members agree to abide by the Associations Code of Ethics and Professional Practice Guidelines, and meet strict membership criteria. Membership in the AESC is the only form of quality accreditation that exists for retained executive search consulting. The other key organization is the IACPR (International Association for Corporate & Professional Recruitment) whose mission is to provide the senior-level recruitment community with opportunities to network, share best practices and build cutting-edge expertise within a collaborative environment, and whose members are comprised of both corporate recruiters and executive search consultants
Judging the headhunter
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Executive Search, Finding A Headhunter, Interviews on February 7, 2010
Headhunters earn their living by finding and evaluating job candidates for the benefit of their clients. Some are better at this than others, and you should know what distinguishes a good headhunter from a not-so-good one — at least from the standpoint of the job hunter. This will help you avoid (a) wasting your time, (b) divulging confidential information to the wrong people, and (c) developing false hopes.
There are a lot of headhunters out there, and they tend to come in two types:
Those who get into the business because the cost of entry is low. They’re looking for a quick buck. They’re in a big rush to close deals, and they aren’t very concerned about what anyone thinks about how they’re doing it. That’s not to say they’re all dishonest; just that they aren’t taking the long view. You’ll get pretty frustrated working with them because of the way they treat their clients, their professional community, and their job candidates.
Those who are building a business based on reputation, relationships and trust — and on making a contribution to their professional community. They’re in less of a rush, are more willing to take time to establish long term relationships, and they seek to establish their credibility as much as to earn a buck. This doesn’t mean they’ll take anyone’s call, just that they’ll act responsibly.
How does a job hunter separate a knowledgeable, trustworthy, conscientious, effective headhunter from the rest? Assess him (or her) on these four attributes:
Knowledge
A good headhunter will have tons of valuable information about the company he or she is representing, about the job, the manager and his team, about why the job is open, and about the technology (if applicable). He’ll be able to tell you about the interview itself: how the manager evaluates candidates, how his team will be involved and how the selection process will play out. Most important, the headhunter will be able to coach you in a way that will maximize your chances of winning an offer.
Even good headhunters don’t have all the answers. But the good ones will tell you when they don’t know something.
Ask the headhunter thoughtful questions about the position he or she called you about. Don’t just focus on the title and salary — get into the work itself. A good headhunter will share lots of his knowledge and in doing so give you enough information to help you make a decision about whether you want to pursue the job (or recommend someone else). A not-so-good headhunter will quote you the title and the salary, but will be in a rush to get off the phone so he can call the next person on his list.
Integrity
A trustworthy headhunter is proud of his business and glad to talk about it. His success depends on you trusting him. So, ask him thoughtful questions about himself and his work. How many years has he been in the business? What areas does he specialize in? Who are his client companies? What specific positions does he usually recruit for?
The answers matter, of course, but what you’re really looking for is an indication that the headhunter is forthright and willing to tell you about himself. A headhunter who’s in the business for a quick buck won’t have much of a story to tell because he’s operating on the fringes, picking up fees wherever he can. A good headhunter will demonstrate that he has good clients who respect him, and that he knows the in’s and out’s of the industry he recruits in.
A good headhunter also reveals his trustworthiness by keeping his or her promises. Don’t let a headhunter slide on this point — you’ll wind up wasting your time in the long run. Does the headhunter call when he promises to call? If he says he’ll call you early next week that means Monday or Tuesday of next week — not Friday at 6:00PM or two weeks later.
Does he return your calls? Once you’ve established a relationship, a good headhunter always returns your calls, just as you should return his. However, if you made the first contact and the headhunter didn’t show any real interest, don’t expect he’ll talk to you again in the near future. He’s not being rude, but he’s also not in business to help you manage your career. Either way, you should expect the headhunter to honor his commitments and to treat you considerately.
Conscientiousness
A good headhunter tries to locate and separate out the best qualifed talent for his client company. That’s why he won’t take cold calls or waste time with people who want a “job handout”. His focus is on the companies and people who will help him do his job. When he’s working on a search that has led him to you, he will be 100% attentive to you.
A good headhunter won’t just ask for your resume. He’ll do his research by taking the time to ask you the tough, detailed questions that will reveal whether you fit the company, the manager, the job and the technology. (Some headhunters will have a researcher on their staff handle this preliminary discussion. Expect the researcher to be as professional as the headhunter, and insist on talking to the headhunter himself if the discussion seems to indicate you’re a potential candidate.)
To a good headhunter, your resume is a follow-up, a kind of background material. It isn’t his objective when he calls. If a headhunter just asks for your resume and says, “I’ll get back to you”, you know you’re dealing with a guy who’s too busy dialing for dollars and not taking the time to do a great job for his client.
By investing the time to get to know you, a headhunter demonstrates his conscientiousness. So, pay attention to the questions the headhunter asks you: he’s revealing himself as much as he’s probing you.
Effectiveness
A good headhunter finds the right candidate and fills the job. That’s his business. To accomplish this, he has to gain the respect of the people he is recruiting, and he must demonstrate his ability to be right. If he makes a few “wrong” placements, his reputation is shot.
When people get frustrated because a headhunter won’t talk to them, it’s often because the headhunter is very good at what he does. And talking to just anyone isn’t his job. A good headhunter usually does not have the time to spend with individuals who contact him unless they happen to have expertise in the exact assignment he’s currently working on. (I’ve gotten such “lucky” calls only twice in eleven years.) My own specialty is the semiconductor industry, which means I cannot help the vast majority of the people who find me in the phone book.
What does all this mean to you? If you are actively looking for a job, then take control of your own job search, because the good headhunters won’t talk to you. That seems contradictory, but it makes perfect sense when you consider what we’ve said about the headhunter’s business: he can’t be an effective headhunter if he starts acting like a career counselor. If you’re the person the headhunter is looking for, he prefers to find you himself. Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to recognize a good headhunter: he’s the one who calls you.
But to judge him properly, evaluate the headhunter carefully on all four of the attributes described above. When you encounter a good headhunter, do your best to help him with his search. Because there’s one last attribute you should know about: a good headhunter remembers.
J.Borer, Headhunter
Your next career move: How not to ruin it
Posted by Frank Mortimer in CV writing, Finding A Headhunter, Interviews on January 24, 2010
A report published in Harvard Business Review suggests that even high-ranking executives make elementary mistakes when searching for a new role. In researching “Five Ways to Bungle a Job Change”, authors Boris Groysberg and Robin Abrahams interviewed 400 executive research consultants, 500 high level executives and the heads of Human Resources at 15 multinational companies.
“It all kept coming down to the same thing,” Robin Abrahams, research associate at Harvard Business School, told CNN.
“Five mistakes came out consistently, no matter who we asked.” she said.
Lack of research
The report identifies four areas which were conspicuously absent in job seekers’ research.
Groysberg, an associate professor at Harvard Business School and Abrahams reveal that executives fail to assess potential employers for financial stability or how they might fit in culturally to a new organization.
Job seekers also assume that official job descriptions accurately reflect the role as well as failing to properly investigate “job-market realities for their industry.”
“They really don’t do their due diligence,” Abrahams said.
“Think for a moment if you were going to invest a year’s salary in the stock of a company. How much due diligence would you do on that company before investing your money? People don’t do that when they are changing their job.”
Leaving for money
Moving jobs for a pay rise is, according to Abrahams, a result of people thinking in the short term and is no guarantee of success in the long term.
“You know when you change jobs that there are going to be some losses involved — moving your family for example — so the money helps people with feelings of loss aversion. It’s also a story that you can tell to other people and they will understand.
Abrahams, a research psychologist, has a special interest in the psychology of narrative. It’s important for people to explain themselves to other people she says.
“If you tell people you’re getting $10,000 or $50,000 more, everyone gets that. But If you are saying long-winded things like ‘it’s for my personal development’ or ‘I’m truly happier doing this’ you can only say those things to your closest friends and even they might not care or understand.”
Going “from” rather than “to”
Executives at the top, as well as people lower down the career ladder are sometimes so desperate to leave their job that they don’t plan their career moves and lurch from job to job instead of waiting for the right position.
“Ask yourself: ‘are there opportunities still left at my old company or do I really need to leave?’” Abraham said.
“It’s very easy for one or two pieces of information — whether its ‘my boss insulted me’ or ‘these people are offering me $25,000 more’ — to overwhelm everything else. Don’t make a job change based on one piece of information,” Abrahams added.
Overestimating yourself
Abrahams says that people overestimate themselves in two ways.
“They generally think they are more competent than they are and tend to have what’s called a self-aggrandizement bias — overplaying the extent to which you saved the day and your own contribution,” Abrahams said.
This “excessively optimistic” opinion of themselves leads them to underestimate how long a job search can take.
“A lot of people aren’t even thinking through the competition,” Abrahams said.
Thinking short term
A short term perspective, Groysberg and Abrahams say, can feed into the mistakes above and many of the headhunters they spoke to cited it as a “serious career misstep in its own right.” Abrahams say executives should pay attention to all sources of information available to them about a new role. If you are lucky enough to find the job of your dreams this year, Abrahams — who writes the “Miss Conduct” social advice column for the Boston Globe — has some words of wisdom. “On-boarding is absolutely crucial. When you start a job, etiquette and good career management tactics are the same really. Find out who you need to know and get in front of them. Do everything you can to start building up your social capital. Definitely come with a listening perspective, no matter how important you are.” Burning your bridges with your old company has never been a smart move. Even more so now in the modern business world, Abrahams says.
“Globalization and people changing careers will mean that today’s boss maybe tomorrow’s client or vendor, subordinate or rival for another job. You simply never know.”
Source: CNN / Harvard Business Review
How to get headhunted in 2010
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Executive Search, Finding A Headhunter on January 13, 2010
Below an article from Efin.careers. Quite all right although you could add a lot of other stuff to it: P.e. make sure you’re listed in the relevant social networks. Also the time that a candidate waits until he or she is approached by an executive search firm is long past us.
In this day and age candidates are actively involved in managing their next steps and professional online tools are available also to high end candidates (p.e. www.lintberg.com) to get in touch with head hunters and to be informed of new opportunities. Anyway for what it’s worth:
1) Put yourself about
Most articles on how to get yourself headhunted (and there are many), suggest you need to get your name out there. And how better to do this than to become known as a great authority on your subject? This can be achieved via appearances at conferences and frequent citations in the media.
Such things tend to have a snowball effect: once you’ve appeared at a conference or in the press once, you’re more likely to be asked to speak or provide a quote in the future. With luck, headhunters and their researchers will then spot you, add you to their databases and call you when a suitable opportunity presents itself.
2) Frequent the company of respected professionals
If putting yourself about publicly is helpful, putting yourself about in the right circles privately is crucial. All the headhunters we spoke to for this article told us they source candidates through recommendations from people already known to them.
“Most of our people come from referrals,” says Alex Tracey at Clifden Partners. “You need to make sure you have a big network of people who like and rate you.”
“It’s all about the company you keep,” says Ray Baptiste of search firm Marlin Hawk. “Good people recommend good people. Everyone understands that the people they put forward reflect on their own reputation.”
3) Let your frustrations be known
As well as knowing ‘good people,’ you need to let those people know that you’re ripe to be headhunted. This carries the risk that your boss may become aware of your frustrations. However, it also makes it more likely that your name will crop up if one of your esteemed friends is headhunted themselves.
“The most effective way of getting someone to call you is to let your friends know that you’re actively looking and are open to conversations,” says Tracey. “The best referrals we get are those where someone recommends Bob Smith because he’s fed up and will be receptive to a call.”
4) Ensure your clients rate you
As well as asking peers in the market for recommendations, headhunters and line managers will also ask clients for names.
“If we want to hire someone, we simply phone our most friendly clients and ask them who their favourite people in the space are,” says the head of research at one brokerage firm. “We then tip the headhunter off. The same applies for any client facing role.”
5) Be a big earner
This may be a slight chicken and egg situation, but you’re more likely to be headhunted if you earn lots of money and are at VP level or above than if you’re an analyst or associate.
This is because headhunters are paid a percentage fee according to first year total compensation of the person they’re placing. The incentive to move a lowly paid analyst is therefore minimal. However, headhunters do exist to ferret out top analyst/associate talent for private equity funds.
6) Fall into a minority group
Needless to say, you will have little control over this, but your allure to headhunters may be increased if you fall into a minority group. “Most of our shortlists are full of white, upper class males,” says the director of one financial services search firm. “If we find someone who can do the job and who doesn’t fall into this category, they make the shortlist more diverse.”
The Lintberg Index: What are your chances for a 100k+ job
Posted by Frank Mortimer in 100K+ job index, CEO jobs, Executive Search, Finding A Headhunter, Uncategorized on August 17, 2009
With courtesy of Lintberg, as of this month we will publish the monthly Lintberg Index of the Netherlands on Huntedhead.com
The Lintberg Index is a monthly analysis of developments in the top 2% of the labour market
The index is a weighted index based on the number of running vacancies, the number of new vacancies, the positions advertising period and the total the number of application on Euro100K+ jobs in the Netherlands based on the input of the market leader Lintberg (www.lintberg.com). A higher index indicates an improved labour market for professionals in the 100k+ segment.
The Lintberg Index for July is 86, risen from 83 in June.
This indicates only a slight improvement compared to June but does show that the growth since the very low April index (63) seems stable.
100k+ jobs online
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Executive Search, Finding A Headhunter, Uncategorized on June 18, 2009
There are a number of job boards that offer 100k+ jobs online. The major ones being:
$100k+ jobs, mainly focused on the US, offers jobs from companies and headhunters.
Euro 60k+, mainly focused on Europe, offers jobs from companies and headhunters.
Euro 100k+ jobs, mainly focused on Europe , offers only jobs that are handled by Executive Search firms. They have just launched their German site: www.lintberg.de
From these 3 we consider Lintberg as the only one to be completely within our Executive Search target group.
Who are the ‘real’ executive search firms?
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Finding A Headhunter, Uncategorized on June 18, 2009
As we’ve stated in an earlier blog it is not always easy to distinguish the cowboys from the professional and trusted executive search firms.
However there are some good indicators: a very important one is Partnerships.Are they are part of a Partnership that has sound membership principles and (International) standing?
A good source for trusted ‘real’ executive search firms is, as mentioned before, www.allheadhunters.com it has several country specific daughters that select executive search firms using the same principles (trusted, 100k+, partnerships): www.headhuntersinnederland.nl, www.headhunterindeutschland.de, www.headhuntersinbelgie.be
The world’s most influential Headhunters
Posted by Frank Mortimer in Finding A Headhunter on June 10, 2009
BusinessWeek has compiled a list of 150 Headhunters
In selecting the 150 recruiters for exclusive list of the World’s Most Influential Headhunters, BusinessWeek considered a number of factors, including: their individual reputations; their years of headhunting experience; the global scope of their recruiting practices; their accessibility and responsiveness; their high visibility within the client markets they serve; the recognition they enjoy within their firms and/or global executive search communities.
The information was provided in response to a BusinessWeek survey
See the full list: http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/recruiter/
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Finding A Headhunter category.
Comments