Looking For A Good Corporate Fit
Article by Jennifer Rich, Buiness Direct Weekly, October 24-30, 2002.

GRAND RAPIDS - Making sure there is a corporate fit for job seeking mid- and upper-level executives and the companies they apply to, thus ensuring that a six-figure salary offer is a good investment, is part of the responsibility of Roger Jansen, partner and corporate psychologist with Leadership Capital Group of Grand Rapids.  Jansen is one of the company's staff of doctorate-level psychologist who work with corporations such as Ernst & Young, Falding Capital Group and Haworth Inc. to assess the culture of their businesses and match candidates to positions.  The company then follows through with executive coaching and assessments.

Studies show that 82 percent of fired executives are let go because of a poor corporate fit, not technical competence issues, Jansen said.  So Leadership Capital does a cultural assessment of each organization to determine the goals, needs and type of business environment before beginning its search for job candidates.  "We always try and have open and frank discussions in a relaxed atmosphere because formality can breed right answers but not always truthful ones," he said.  The goal is to make sure the corporate culture and the job candidates are compatible. Testing tools and interviews are used to measure the job candidate°s personality, social skills, problem-solving, judgment and energy level.  Verbal feedback is given to employers along with 15 to 20 page assessment reports.

Like many executive search firms, Leadership Capital Group recruits potential job candidates via networking and referrals but doesn't stop there.  It continues to work with the company once the person is hired to evaluate, coach and assess.  "We meet with the individual over the next 12 months and work on an action plan to help achieve the goals that have been developed," Jansen explained.

Interpersonal organization dynamics is an important factor in determining whether an executive will succeed or not.  After a recent meeting with a client, Jansen said the decision was made to fire the financial officer, a six-month old hire, because he was butting heads with the CEO.  The man had been hired against Jansen's advice.  "They hired him based on his reputation and thought they could work things out," he said.  But pre-employment interviews and testing had shown that the job candidate wanted to have a strategic influence and decision-making ability — something the company was not offering with that position.

Finding a good corporate fit is especially important now when companies and hiring less or cutting back, Jansen said.  "They want to make sure their selections are right on the nose," he said.  In another recent case, a job applicant from Chicago was considered by a Grand Rapids company, but he wanted his children exposed to a more diverse and cultural environment.  "Companies often don't realize how important family issues are in whether an employee is successful," Jansen said.

"Because we are a small company, we cannot afford to make mistakes with our people," explained Steve Vander Weide, president of Leadership Capital client Rivershores Building Products of Grand Rapids. "We value their thoughtful and practical approach to helping us make better more informed decisions."

Leadership Capital, which has offices in Detroit and Atlanta, also conducts corporate and public workshops.  "A large part of what we do is executive education," Jansen said.  The company also gets involved in mergers, acquisitions and restructurings and offers succession planning and family business consulting.  About a third of all family businesses pass down to the next generation and there are a lot of emotional factors involved," Jansen said.  "Someone might think  ´I raised Johnny and changed his diapers and I'm not sure he knows how to run my $60 million business.'"  LCG  works on issues such as transfer of assets, choosing a successor and family harmony.