A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the risk of checking references too early in a search, and I want to share how that story actually ended for one of my long-time clients, because it turned out much better than I would have ever expected.
The candidate that we had originally presented and was the main character in that post was in the President’s words, “the perfect fit”. He checked all of the boxes, and my client was incredibly excited about bringing him aboard. Everyone on the team agreed, the interviews had gone exceptionally well, and we were all ready to move forward. Then, at the 11th hour, one of the people contacted as a reference recruited him away, and he accepted that opportunity instead. 🥵
I cannot overstate how heartbreaking that was for all of us. My client was devastated and extremely upset, and I completely understood why, because we had all invested so much time & effort in this person. I was crushed too, and I felt like I had let down someone I have supported with strategic hires for more than 6 years and have built a strong personal connection with along the way. That candidate broke our collective hearts, and it hurt far more than a lost search normally does.
So we went right back to work, re-doubled our efforts with even more determination, because making it right mattered to me professionally and, just as importantly, personally.
We somehow recruited a couple of incredibly strong candidates, both with even more accomplished backgrounds than the person we had lost.
After a number of interviews, my client made an offer and it was accepted. Yeah, glory days! 😊
Here is the part I did not see coming. I had been part of earlier discussions about the potential need for a leadership position down the road, but I never expected we would be acting on it now, or that my client would consider combining that leadership role with the responsibilities the original candidate was going to own. He did just that and offered him an executive leadership role instead of the original IC(individual contributor) position and I am super excited to see where this is going to take my client in terms of growth for 2027.
The President is now genuinely glad the first candidate turned the offer down. Why you may ask?
That’s because the new hire brings far more leadership and executive management experience and is still excited to take care of the same key responsibilities of the IC position.
In effect, my client got 2 hires in 1, and saved on additional recruiting fees as well.
This is why I keep saying that sometimes it is just meant to be.
I still believe the lesson from my last post holds, because an early reference check gave a competing opportunity a way in. But I also believe that a lost finalist is not always a lost search, and that the right response is to double down and make it right!
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