Executive Loyalty: Advantage or Detriment?

There are many disconnects that can occur between candidate beliefs and employer desires. One such candidate assumption is that employers appreciate a long company tenure or will seek first to fill the C-Suite internally. While longevity demonstrates loyalty, it also conveys that an employee may be comfortable with the status quo, have a narrow industry perspective or may be risk-averse.

A study released by Temple University shows that optimal CEO tenure is 4.8 years. This study (and others) suggest that as leaders become entrenched within a company, they tend to reduce their external search for market intelligence, start to limit risk, reduce the emphasis on innovation and stagnate in meeting changing customer needs. Because of this trend, most companies now prefer external executive candidates with multiple, shorter company experiences (over those with longer and internal tenures).

Let’s consider this example.

Available Role: COO for a growing, mid-sized technology company.

Candidates:

1.      Chris – spent the last 15 years building a startup company from scratch, currently the CEO

2.      Ysabel – spent 3 years at a publicly-traded Fortune 100 company as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, 4 years at a privately-held mid-sized company as Director of Operations, 4 years as a Business Strategy Consultant and 4 years at a startup company as COO

3.      Anthony – has spent the last 10 years at the company in a senior Operations role and 5 years prior to that as the Director of Sales at a Fortune 500 company

Which candidate do you think the potential employer would prefer, based only on their last 15 years of experience? (Obviously, there would be many other factors that would come into play in a real-life selection decision.) Based on tenure alone, however, I would anticipate that the employer would select Ysabel because she has varied experience across company sizes, functions and entity types. She has probably navigated the most change, had to build and maintain more industry connections and brings with her a multitude of ideas, influences, lessons learned and perspectives from engagement at 3 different companies and numerous client organizations.

So, what to do if you are Chris or Anthony and are pining after this COO role?

1.      You can highlight how you have adapted to and driven change within your roles and companies (mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, integration, technology changes, business transformations). This will show that you have embraced progress, are competent in change management, can influence transformation and thrive in new environments and cultures.

2.      Demonstrate how you have remained relevant beyond any one (or two) employers. Include content about how you stay current on trends and changes in your industry (and field), how well connected you are and what thought leadership you provide.

3.      Consider breaking up long tenures on your resume. For example, if you started at Pharmacia which became Upjohn after acquisition and later part of Pfizer, break your experience up by each of these companies and their acquisition dates.

 Such As...

Resume 1:                                                                        

Resume 2:

This simple change showcases a multiple company tenure that will be more appealing. Sure, there will be organizations that value loyalty over varied experience, but the majority probably won't. If you are targeting a more traditional company with conservative values, the “before resume” may work best. However, if you are seeking a senior role with a progressive and growing company, they will likely follow this trend and select a multi-faceted final candidate.

Companies want a leader who can quickly glean current state strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Someone who can draw industry-wide conclusions and generate viable solutions from their robust toolbox (that they have developed through numerous collaborations, through innovation failures and successes and through extensively refined best practices.)

Do you present this type of leader in your resume, during interviews and through your professional accomplishments? If not, MyPro Resumes may be able to help. Find out more at www.myproresumes.com.

How does your company view executive tenure? Does this perspective ring true in your field and industry? Executive Recruiters: do you prefer Resume 1 or Resume 2?

Please share your insights in the comments.

How to Survive a Toxic Work Environment

Have you ever had to survive in a toxic work environment until the next career door opened? It's not easy and it shouldn't be done long-term (as this can impact both your physical and mental health). However, these tips may help you thrive in the short-term.

1. Get Clear about the Situation

• Is your boss unpredictably moody? If so, acknowledge the fact that you may be working for someone with a mood disorder. Learn about these disorders and how to engage better within the dynamic.

• Is your manager not a good leader? Assess the situation. Are they hypocritical, do they lack emotional intelligence or is it leadership skills they lack? Once you pinpoint the issue, you can then work on how to respond to it. Remember that some bosses need managed. You can't change others, but you can change yourself.

• Is morale low? If so, try to model a positive attitude and find reasons to be grateful and to feel pride about your work. Band together with other positive employees to counter the negativity.

2. Build Trusted Relationships

• Any environment is more enjoyable when friendship or comradery is present. Finding one or two people that you really trust, can make a difference. 

• Don't stoop to the level of toxic individuals. Look for ways to add value and engage productively. This will help sustain your self-image, professional reputation and can actually change how toxic co-workers interact with you.

3. Remember Self-Care

• Be sure that you are disconnecting from work at the end of the day. Don't respond to any requests that aren't urgent (most things can wait until tomorrow morning). Avoid ruminating about work situations and frustrations. Devote your off-the-clock headspace to positive activities that bring you joy.

• Provide your body what it needs. Good nutrition, quality sleep and other self-care activities are important to maintain while managing high levels of stress and frustration.

• Set and uphold healthy boundaries. Remember that Robert Owen found that the ideal work-life balance was 8 hours of labor, 8 hours of recreation and 8 hours of rest. The Swedish government also found that cutting work days down to 6 hours increased productivity. Your employer wants optimal results (even if they don't understand how to achieve them). Accomplishing this requires down time. No human can work 16 hour work days for long without diminishing work quality, physical impacts and/or mental health implications.

4. Remind Yourself this isn't Permanent

• Burnout expands frustrations. It's important to counter this by keeping focused on your exit strategy. Take regular steps toward your departure (skim job boards, set networking meetings, refresh your resume) so that when the opportunity arises, you are ready to act.

It may also be helpful to remind yourself about the benefits of making a planned exit, staying employed while job searching and showing emotional intelligence in the face of challenges. Your experience with this employer may turn into a career success story that you share during interviews and while coaching team members through tough moments. Working through a toxic situation until the next opportunity arises can show maturity, perseverance, an ability to adapt and a strategic mindset.

On the flip side, if you have concerns about your mental health or your ability to remain professional within the environment, it may be best to give notice and get out. Becoming negative and difficult to be around can destroy your professional credibility. Additionally, serious consequences can result from unaddressed mental health issues.

Are there any other tips you could share that have helped you power through in a toxic work environment? If so, please share them in the comments.