The Probation Period Works Both Ways

Last night, a Sales Director at a national business turning over £120m per year called me for advice.

They had joined the company after promises were made. Promises that influenced their decision, despite having stronger offers elsewhere.

They had to request and organise their own probationary meeting.

What happened in that meeting told them everything they needed to know.

When the Review Becomes a Business Meeting

The CEO, CFO and Chair were present — but during the meeting, people left to take calls, respond to emails and attend to other matters.

This was supposed to be a probationary review for a new senior hire.

Instead, it became a business review about the new customer accounts they had brought in, credit limits, payments and sales performance.

In three months, this Sales Director had generated over £1m in new sales.

Yet the way they were treated during that period has now led them to consider their next move.

The Language of Quiet Exits

This was not an isolated conversation.

I also spoke with an Operations Director who, six months after joining their employer, has asked us to help them find their next opportunity.

When I asked why they wanted to leave, there was a pause.

Then came the usual language:

"Not the right fit." "Culture." "Challenges." "Fast pace."

Often, those words are used to politely cover the real issue: how they have been treated.

People do not always resign from a business. They resign from broken promises, poor leadership, lack of respect and a culture that was sold very differently during the hiring process.

A Question Employers Need to Ask

Both of these candidates had applied directly to their organisations.

And this is where I think employers need to ask themselves a difficult question:

How strong are your retention rates for direct senior hires?

Internal talent acquisition teams can be excellent. But their role is often to reduce cost, hire directly and support the employer's agenda.

That is not the same as independently assessing whether the person and the organisation are truly right for each other.

Employers are usually very good at selling themselves. It is only when you walk a mile with them that you realise the journey is not the one you were promised.

The Imperium Approach

At Imperium, we take a different approach.

Before we go to market, we work to understand the employer's real internal picture — the leadership, the pressures, the expectations, the culture, the challenges and the environment the candidate will actually be walking into.

I am not answerable to investors, internal politics or pressure to simply fill a seat.

I am answerable to my conscience.

On a recent mandate, our client asked me which of the three final candidates I believed was the right appointment.

• Candidate 1 was technically strong, but unlikely to join.
• Candidate 2 was attractive on paper and would have accepted a strong package, but culturally was not right. Too accepting. Not enough challenge.
• Candidate 3 came late into the process, from an aligned industry. They were direct, uncomfortable at times, asked difficult questions and pushed back.

My recommendation was Candidate 3.

Why? Because that was what the business actually needed. Not the easiest candidate. The right candidate.

The Difference

That is the difference when working with Imperium.

We are not just matching CVs to job descriptions. We are walking the journey with both client and candidate to understand fit, expectations, leadership style and the environment needed for both sides to succeed.

If you are an executive currently feeling despondent about a recent move, speak to us. All conversations are confidential. We will listen, understand your landscape and provide honest advice where we can.

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Ikram Rabbani is Founder and Executive Managing Director of Imperium Executive Search, a retained search firm specialising in senior and board-level appointments across engineering, infrastructure, construction and the built environment.