I’m starting to think I am in a profession that almost no one understands. Sixteen years ago, my partner, Sally Stetson, and I started a retained executive search firm. The field existed long before our entry into it and the essential service offering has changed very little. Employers retain us to find the best [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Salveson
on May 10, 2012 
This entry is filed under Retained Search, Social Media and tagged executive search, Internet, social media.
By Sally Stetson
on April 23, 2012 
This entry is filed under Uncategorized and tagged Bucket List, Family, Paris, Summer Vacation. | 2 Comments
Remember returning to school after summer vacation and being asked by your teacher to write an essay titled “What I Learned on My Summer Vacation”? This question immediately came to mind after I returned from a trip to Paris with my mother and brother. We had the good fortune of treating my mother to this [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Touey
on April 9, 2012 
This entry is filed under Economy, Retained Search and tagged CFO roles, iPad, iPhone, Random thoughts, Relocation challenges, Strengthening economy.
One of the problems in writing a blog is that on periodic occasions, you actually have to write one. After several entries, I’ve found—at least over the short-term—that I’ve run out of insights that merit 500 words or more on a regular basis. I’ve also come to the conclusion that those who are able to [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Salveson
on March 20, 2012
This entry is filed under Leadership, Social Media and tagged Goldman Sachs, Greg Smith, Resignation Letter.
One of the highlights of my reading this week was the resignation letter published in the New York Times by Greg Smith, a promising young executive with Goldman Sachs who decided he had had enough with a corporate culture he felt had devolved to the point that he had to get out. And he thought [...]
[ Read More → ]By Sally Stetson
on March 12, 2012
This entry is filed under Career Counseling, Leadership and tagged Professional development.
As leaders, we encourage our staff members to think about professional development. What do they want to do to keep current in their field? What additional skill sets or experiences do they want to add to their portfolio? What seminars would they be interested in attending? Are they interested in becoming more involved in [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Touey
on February 27, 2012
This entry is filed under Leadership and tagged executive ranks, Leadership, management style, mentor, role model.
In the countless interviews I’ve conducted for senior management roles during my time in retained search, the one subject that consistently comes up as the greatest career challenge for candidates centers on their initial transition from doer to leader. As is typical with early career professionals, they gained their first promotions mostly by the [...]
[ Read More → ]By Sally Stetson
on February 15, 2012
This entry is filed under Human Resources Excellence and tagged Candidate Experience, CareerXroads, Fortune, Interviewing Tips. | 2 Comments
As an executive search consultant, I have heard several horror stories from candidates about negative experiences at the hands of companies and recruiters. If some of the scenarios below don’t sound familiar, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. “The company seemed so positive about my candidacy, but now, they have stopped returning my [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Salveson
on February 1, 2012
This entry is filed under Human Resources Excellence, Talent Management and tagged Fostering Talent, Hospital, Patient Safety, Professional Services Excellence, Quality Commitment.
I’ve spent my entire career in professional services, starting as a mental health professional followed by various stints in different parts of human resources services – employee assistance programs, outplacement and career management – and for the past 15 years, retained executive search. I always have felt that the professional services sector is a [...]
[ Read More → ]By Sally Stetson
on January 4, 2012
This entry is filed under Career Counseling, Networking and tagged job search, LinkedIn, Networking, New Year's resolution, resume.
I know. We always start out the New Year with a resolution and try hard to stick with it. Most times, we stray from our goal. Whether it is fitting more exercise in our daily routine or spending more quality time with our family – we always have good intentions. Our busy lives just get [...]
[ Read More → ]By John Salveson
on December 7, 2011
This entry is filed under Talent Management and tagged company culture, exit interview, rewards, talent retention, turnover.
Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to pose this question to a group of executives: Which of these is more challenging in your business? Finding great talent Keeping great talent By a margin of 2:1, survey respondents said they had more trouble keeping talent. One respondent took the time to point [...]
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