Written by: Eric Handler

What Top Talent Isn’t Telling You – But Tells Us

Based upon its 40-year history in executive search, Handler & Associates is observing a noticeable trend in top talent: More than ever, executives are open to entertaining new career opportunities.

Connecting daily to candidates, we’re finding that even happy, satisfied top talent are more open to hearing about new career possibilities.

We attribute this trend to a growing uncertainty about job security and employer loyalty. They’ve seen positions disappear overnight and worry the same fate could befall them. Also rising is the number of executives whose resumes are up-to-date and ready to send within minutes of learning about an opportunity of interest.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll make a move on a whim or merely for a higher compensation package.

Contrary, today’s top leaders are more discerning about investigating the organization and understanding exactly how their career could progress by making a change.

Top reasons executives cite for being willing to move include: 1) frustration over bureaucracy that prevents them from getting things done, 2) an environment of cost-cuts instead of growth initiatives, and 3) career progression that’s delayed for reasons beyond their control.

Today’s executives welcome search consultants to partner in a strategic and confidential manner to identify their next career move for three reasons: First, because they’re highly engaged at work and time-crunched; second, because they’re not so discontent as to be pushed into a full scale job search; and finally, because reaching out to their network risks alerting their employer.