Are exits made equal?
To many, redundancy is a negative outcome. For others, like me, it is the best thing that could have happened (I took a package from Telstra in 2011 after the birth of my second child). Not all redundancies are made equal and I believe, not all exits are made equal. I often find myself reading CV’s or talking to candidates about gaps in their career or why they left their previous role. Whatever their response, there is always a story they have created. I don’t mean they have made it up – it could be the honest truth. But the way they tell it depends on what they want you to know and what they are telling themselves. When exiting a job, there are those who leave for a new exciting role. There are those who leave for a break. Some care for sick family. Others leave to support their spouse’s career dreams.
And then there are exits due to poor management. Poor performance. Personality clashes. Job role expectation clashes. These reason for leaving often find themselves becoming rumours that can tarnish the good name of some great leaders. I have seen organisations shy away from candidates who could shine in the role but are burdened by the hearsay.
Some leaders leave bad situations behind only to create amazing outcomes in the years ahead. One person’s personality clash can be another person’s hero. When a leader makes an error of judgement, is wooed by a vendor’s promises only to underdeliver (and possibly cause massive financial loss), or isn’t able to meet a deadline leading to customer churn or reputation damage, many will learn from these experiences and will do all in their power to prevent a repeat of the same mess.
I’m not saying there are no poor leaders. I’m not saying poor performance can be excused. What I’m saying is that if you’re hiring – ask and listen about career gaps and reasons for leaving. And then form your own judgement based on a balanced amount of information as to whether the candidate is the right person for the role.
Everyone has a story. Everyone makes mistakes – some bigger than others and some more likely to take action on the lessons learned. When hiring, do you trust your instinct that someone is right for your business, no matter their previous reasons for leaving?