HiProFile Announces New Additions to the Popular HiProFile Advisor Blog

HiProFile LLC, an innovative executive placement firm, recently created "HiProFile Advisor," a blog designed to give readers insight into the thinking of employees who are immersed in industry trends and factors guiding senior executives. Recently they have added new perspectives from their diverse staff.

Boston, MA (PRWEB) January 26, 2007 -- HiProFile LLC announces the newest postings to the HiProFile Advisor Blog, a series of articles of interest to the Senior Executive. The site is a forum for our senior executives to pass on their years of experience to the general public. The articles will touch upon all aspects of interest to senior executives, from self-improvement and performance enhancement as a leader, to advice for getting to the next step of your career.

The latest posting on the Advisor is "The 2006 CEO Turnover Rate," an article about the record-setting turnover rates of senior level executives by HiProFile Staff Writer, Nick Olds. The article examines the departure rates of CEOs and explains the effectiveness of using senior executive search firms to network. Below is an excerpt from the piece:

"According to a recent survey, as of November 2006, the number of departed senior-level executives was up to 1,347 this year (11.75 per business day), making 2006 officially the largest senior executive turnover year on record. Another survey, conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton, shows that North America alone is currently at a 16.2% turnover rate of senior level executives, almost a full percentage point higher than the global average (15.3%). In fact, since 2005, North America has experienced a record level of performance-related turnover, with 35% of all its departing CEOs leaving involuntarily, 28% of whom were on the job fewer than 3 years. And with salaries and severance packages for senior level executives increasing every year, their departures are costing businesses millions."
Another recent posting to the site is "There are Lies, Damn Lies- and Statistics," an article about the confusion about differing employment statistics by HiProFile Sr. Director of Communications, Hal Bent. This article discusses the statistics from national and local organizations regarding employment. Below is an excerpt from that piece:
"Some recent hiring news I came across shows some interesting and relevant data. The newsletter I read trumpeted it with a title of Employment Outlook Steady for First Quarter of 2007. It added that:

'The most recent Manpower Employment Outlook Survey found that the New Year will begin with a steady hiring pace. The survey conducted quarterly by Manpower Inc., Milwaukee, reports that 23 percent of employers expect to add to their payrolls during the first quarter of 2007, while 11 percent expect to reduce staff levels. Sixty percent expect no change in the hiring pace, and 6 percent are undecided about their hiring plans.'"

You can find the HiProFile Advisor at http://HiProFileAdvisor.blogspot.com/. The opinions expressed by the company's bloggers do not necessarily reflect the views of HiProFile LLC, but instead give readers insight into the thinking of employees who are immersed in industry trends and factors guiding senior executives.

Since beginning in 2002, HiProFile has established relationships with organizations throughout New England needing to fill positions at the $100-400K base salary level. Unlike outplacement firms or "headhunters," HiProFile carefully selects its member companies and the executive candidates provided to them. In other words, the firm maintains a "by invitation only" policy regarding member companies and executive talent and does not advertise to solicit either. Additional questions or information should be directed to Nick Olds, Director of Communications.

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The Best Networking Is a Strategic Plan

Boston, MA -- (Oct 13, 2005) -- Generally, senior executives are very accomplished at their day-to-day activities within their respective industries. However, most are not skilled in what is often the hardest job they’ve ever had – finding a job. Many of these men and women have not had to look for a new position in 10, 15, or even 20 years. The situation is compounded by the fact that our cyclical economy now changes radically every few years, placing once-secure executives in the position of having “the bottom drop from underneath them” at a time when they are ill-prepared to “roll with the punches.” A senior executive may be highly-qualified for a number of desirable positions, but the fact is that s/he simply just doesn’t know how to find them.

While some professionals are naturally outgoing and communicative of their skills and talents, many others are not. Regardless of ability, very few actually look forward to carrying out the universal mandate for the senior executive job seeker: Network!

Most executives get jobs by networking. At senior levels (over $90K), more than 80% of successful transitions occur via networking. Job boards, newspapers, and trade journals account for 3-4%, and recruiters fill 12-15%. Clearly, there is no debate on the efficacy of networking. However, there is great debate on how to do it.

Many see networking as a laborious and time-consuming effort to phone almost anyone they’ve ever known who might offer some semblance of help. Their message? A desperate “I need a job!” Almost without exception (after the usual gratuitous pleasantries) the response is the same - an ambiguous “Let me see what I can do and get back to you,” perhaps concluding with “let’s have lunch sometime.” With repetition, this exercise becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. For the job seeker, it can result in anything from mild discouragement to deep depression.

This “rolodex approach” is not really networking; it’s a thinly-veiled plea for help. The job-seeker is really asking “Can you do the networking necessary for me to find a job?” The invariable answer, no matter how cordially phrased, is “No.” The recipients of such phone calls rarely have open jobs suitable for the caller, and in the unlikely event that they do, refrain from saying anything other than the above-stated “Let me get back to you.”

There are few activities in life that cannot be improved with a plan. Effective networking is a little more strategic than the rolodex approach. A well-developed plan includes:

• An objective — “What are the best ways to identify good Senior Project Director jobs in my field?” (Note: the objective did not say available jobs, since most jobs at senior levels are not vacant.) Good networking should not focus on the identification of vacancies, which are few, but on the job seeker’s communication of his/her value to a decision-maker. There may not be a vacancy, but there might be a problem that needs to be solved.

• A sub-objective — “Who should I contact to get this information?”

• An enabling objective — “Who do I know that can refer me to these people?”

The networking call now becomes a series of calls, all of which are far more specific and actionable by the contact. There is a much greater chance of a positive and helpful response from people when they are asked to do something within their power.

In summary, effective networking is not one big step; it is a series of strategic communications that will eventually put the job seeker in front of the right person.


John Shaffer is the CEO of HiProFile in Boston, Massachusetts. Since its inception in early 2002, HiProFile has established relationships with organizations throughout New England who need to fill positions at the $100K – $400K base salary level. Unlike outplacement firms or “headhunters,” HiProFile selectively chooses its member companies and the executive candidates it provides to them. The firm currently maintains an exclusive “by invitation only” policy regarding member companies and executive talent, and does not advertise to solicit either. HiProFile receives specifications of ideal candidates from a member company, then screens, validates, interviews, and selects a small number of senior executives specifically targeted to meet those qualifications.

For more information on HiProFile or HiProFile Plus, contact Hal Bent, Communications Director at (617) 345-0007.