After more than 30 years in executive search, I sometimes ask myself: Have we been measuring success the wrong way?
Our profession spends enormous effort finding and placing the right executives. Yet once the appointment is made and the executive joins, we often consider the assignment completed.
But what if the real challenge is only beginning?
Technology, research capabilities, and assessment methodologies have certainly evolved over the years. Yet the fundamental business model of executive search remains largely transaction-oriented, with success often measured by whether a placement has been made.
I have come to believe that getting the job and succeeding in the job are two very different things.
Interestingly, one of my most important lessons about this came not from being an executive search consultant, but from being a candidate myself.
A Humbling Personal Experience
In 2018, after more than two decades with Egon Zehnder, I joined PT HM Sampoerna/Philip Morris International as People & Culture Director.
I was told that I was the most senior external hire in the company's history at that time.
It was an exciting opportunity, but also a significant leap into unfamiliar territory.
While I had spent much of my career in the people business, I had never actually held an operational HR leadership role. I was moving from a professional services partnership into a large, complex multinational organization with its own deeply established culture, ways of working, and organizational dynamics.
To complicate matters, my predecessor had to leave almost immediately for her next global assignment, leaving very little opportunity for a proper handover.
And there was another challenge I had perhaps underestimated.
Some of my direct reports had understandably aspired to the P&C Director role themselves. The appointment of an outsider, particularly one without a conventional HR background, was not necessarily welcomed by everyone.
I had to navigate skepticism, occasional passive resistance, and the inevitable questions about my credibility.
At the same time, I was learning the business, understanding the unwritten rules, figuring out the informal power structures and relationships, and trying to establish my own leadership style.
The first six to nine months were difficult. Very difficult.
What made an enormous difference was having a supportive CEO who believed in the potential value I could bring as an outsider, despite my unconventional background.
That trust gave me the confidence and space to learn, adapt, build relationships, and gradually find my footing.
Looking back, it was one of the most valuable learning experiences of my career.
It also made me realize something I had perhaps not fully appreciated during my many years advising others on executive transitions.
Even the most carefully selected executive can struggle without the right integration support.
Why Good Executives Sometimes Derail
Executive search processes can take months. Considerable effort goes into understanding the role, assessing candidates, conducting interviews, checking references, and ultimately agreeing on an appointment.
Yet despite this thorough process, some executives struggle or derail within their first year.
Often, it is not because they lack competence or experience.
The reality is that joining a new organization involves far more than understanding the business, its products, markets, and strategy.
There are the expectations of a new boss, the dynamics of the leadership team, unfamiliar organizational cultures, different working styles, and perhaps most challenging of all, the unwritten rules and internal politics that are rarely discussed during the recruitment process.
There may also be resistance from colleagues who feel overlooked, threatened, or uncertain about the changes a new leader might bring.
Small misunderstandings can gradually become bigger problems. Expectations remain unspoken. Early impressions become entrenched. Relationships deteriorate.
Without timely feedback and intervention, a promising appointment can begin to unravel.
Integration Is a Two-Way Street
My Sampoerna experience also taught me that integration is not solely the responsibility of the incoming executive.
Of course, the new leader needs to listen, learn, adapt, build relationships, and earn trust.
But the organization also needs to create the conditions for the executive to succeed.
This means providing support, honest feedback, clarity of expectations, and perhaps most importantly, being genuinely open to the different perspectives and experiences an outsider can bring.
After all, isn't that often why we hire an outsider in the first place?
A new executive should not be expected simply to conform to everything that already exists. Equally, the executive cannot expect the organization to change overnight.
Successful integration requires adjustments on both sides.
Beyond the Placement
When I established Wardhana & Co in 2020, one principle I wanted to embed in our approach was "Care for Talents."
For us, this means our responsibility does not end when an executive accepts an offer or walks through the door on the first day.
We stay involved in the integration journey for at least the first year, maintaining regular conversations with both the executive and the client.
The intention is to create an ongoing feedback loop.
Are expectations aligned? Are relationships developing well? Are there misunderstandings or concerns that need addressing? What adjustments might be necessary on either side?
Sometimes, a timely conversation can prevent a small misunderstanding from becoming a serious problem.
Our role is not to interfere, but to facilitate open communication, encourage mutual understanding, and help both parties navigate the inevitable adjustments.
I have always believed that changing jobs, particularly at senior leadership levels, should never be taken lightly.
It is a major decision that affects not only the executive's career but often their family and personal life as well.
For the organization, it also represents a significant investment of time, resources, and expectations.
Both deserve every opportunity to succeed.
A Final Reflection
Looking back, I am grateful for my experience at Sampoerna, including those difficult first few months.
It gave me a perspective I might never have fully appreciated had I remained on the other side of the table as an executive search consultant.
It reminded me that even experienced executives need support, that organizational acceptance cannot be taken for granted, and that a supportive boss can make an enormous difference.
Most importantly, it strengthened my conviction that executive search should be about more than finding the right person for the right job.
A successful placement is not necessarily a successful appointment.
The real measure of success is whether the executive can integrate, contribute, and thrive in the new organization.
Perhaps, after all these years, it is time for our profession to rethink not only how we measure success, but also where our responsibility truly ends.
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