Category: Manaagement

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Navigating a Challenging Hiring Situation

Turning uncertainty into a structured, low-risk hiring decision.

Longstanding Professional Relationship

I have known Jack, not his real name, for more than twenty-eight years, ever since I started my career as an executive recruiter. Even though we never worked for the same company, we developed a lasting friendship and often collaborated professionally. Over time, we became sounding boards for each other, frequently sharing our experiences and frustrations within the industry.

Recent Conversation and Context

About two weeks ago, Jack reached out to me. After exchanging pleasantries and joking about life, he explained the reason for his call. Jack had presented what he believed was the ideal candidate for a client, but was unable to close the deal. Frustrated and confused, he sought my advice. He wanted to know if I had experienced a comparable situation and my resolution. Before offering any suggestions, I asked Jack to provide a complete overview of his assignment.

Assignment: COO Search for Restaurant Group

Jack described the objective of the search: to find a Chief Operating Officer for a small restaurant group with two to three locations. The group’s owner is a millennial. Jack identified a candidate who met all the requirements for the position. The candidate has experience as a manager at high-volume casual-dining restaurants for established brands. He also has excellent references from individuals known to the client. Despite the candidate’s strong qualifications, the client is hesitant to make an offer, but he is unable to articulate his discomfort.

The client’s sole complaint was that the candidate was overly talkative in interviews. Considering the candidate’s twenty-year tenure at his previous job, it should be no surprise that he has limited recent interview experience.

Potential Issues and Benefits

One concern I raised was that the candidate’s long tenure at his previous employer,  while admirable, might pose a risk for the hiring manager. Assimilating into a new company culture after twenty years in one organization can be challenging. However, the risk of assimilation can be mitigated. The client could plan appropriate measures to facilitate a smooth transition.

I also asked Jack if the client’s discomfort was due to the candidate’s age. I have found that some Millennial hiring managers have a bias against Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Their rationale is multifaceted, with technical competence and the ability to relate to younger generations as the primary justification. Jack did not seem to know if this was part of the client’s thinking. It would be most unfortunate if the Client had a bias against the candidate because of his age. After all, the candidate has demonstrated success under the exact circumstances. Furthermore, Millennials’ job tenures are notoriously short, as they prefer frequent job changes as a career advancement strategy. Mature candidates offer greater stability.

Benefits of Hiring Mature Candidates

    • Baby boomers and Gen Xers are dependable employees.
    • They possess experience in their fields.
    • They tend to change jobs less often, offering greater stability to employers.
    • They have received excellent training and development from major brands.

Recommendations for Moving Forward

I advised Jack to try to help the client become more comfortable with the candidate. One option would be to engage an industrial psychologist to speak with the candidate, including diagnostic assessments, to better understand his personality and management style. Another approach could involve hiring the candidate on a limited-time contract to evaluate his performance in live operations.

Current Status and Reflections

Two weeks after our conversation, I followed up with Jack to see how the situation had progressed. Unfortunately, nothing had changed. As Jack described, the process is still in limbo—the client has not rejected the candidate but has not shown interest in moving forward either. A meeting with an Industrial Psychologist was not scheduled. Jack resumed his search for additional candidates.

This outcome is regrettable. The client may have missed an opportunity to hire an excellent manager. I empathize with Jack, given the effort he invested in the search. He cannot compel the client to hire the candidate. However, he may be able to guide the client toward clarification of his trepidation. A low-cost, low-risk solution would be to contract the candidate on a 1099 basis for a trial period, allowing the client to assess his performance firsthand. It may be useful for the client to discuss this situation with an industrial psychologist. If he has not done so, it might be useful for the client to take a diagnostic assessment to better understand his strengths and weaknesses in decision-making.

I appreciate your interest in ITB Partners.  For further information about ITB Partners and its Value-Added Strategy, please visit our website at www.itbpartners.com, or contact Jim Weber.

 

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our perspective and would like to receive regular posts directly in your email inbox. To this end, please put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue publishing articles you want to read.  Your input is important to me, so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts.

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com

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Survive the Swings: How Local Businesses Adapt When the Economy Shifts Beneath Them

When the ground shifts beneath a local business, it’s rarely gentle. One week, margins are tight but stable. Next, spending slows, costs surge, and your old strategies feel useless. Economic shifts—whether national, local, or sudden—don’t just mess with numbers. They rattle direction, identity, and rhythm. But grit alone won’t save you. The ones who make it through? They’re embedded and rooted in the community and built to flex. This isn’t theory—it’s real-world. Below are seven actionable, community-driven strategies to help local business owners not only survive instability but also leverage it as a source of growth and reinforcement.

Tune Into the Local Pulse Early

Reacting late costs more than reacting wrong. The most innovative local businesses aren’t waiting for quarterly reports—they’re listening in real time. It starts with reading local economic indicators that signal where things are headed. Think foot traffic changes, commercial lease patterns, new construction halts, or shifts in local consumer sentiment. These early signals aren’t just tea leaves—they’re tactical clues. When inflation rises faster than expected or hiring slows down across town, it’s time to rethink your inventory cycle, renegotiate vendor terms, or shift your messaging from premium to essential. The economy always leaves footprints before it hits you in the face. Learn to read them.

Mobilize Community Strengths

You don’t need to invent resilience—you need to reveal it. Too many businesses waste time chasing grants or gimmicks when the most potent assets are already around them. Tap into churches, nonprofits, neighborhood associations, and civic groups. They’re not just allies—they’re infrastructure. Mobilizing community strengths means recognizing what’s already working and reinforcing it. Host events in underused community spaces. Ask retired professionals to mentor. Let youth groups design your next window display. Don’t ask what’s missing. Ask what’s underutilized.

Reinforce With Education, Not Guesswork

There’s power in knowing what you don’t know—and fixing that fast. During periods of volatility, gut instinct has its limits. Local leaders who invest in structured learning often outperform those relying on memory or legacy systems. Studying business fundamentals for local leaders like finance, operations, and digital marketing can unlock better decision-making during crunch time (this is a good preference). Whether it’s a full degree or a weekend immersion, upskilling isn’t a luxury—it’s a form of risk reduction. The future won’t wait for you to feel ready.

Recycle Dollars Back Into the Block

Survival isn’t just personal—it’s systemic. When local money stays local, it doesn’t just help—it multiplies. A dollar spent at your shop pays your team, who then grab lunch down the street, whose owner pays the print shop you both use. This kind of money, reinforcing local circulation, isn’t abstract economics—it’s oxygen. If you’re not pointing customers toward other local businesses, you’re weakening your own future. Incentivize local referrals. Offer discounts for in-neighborhood collaborations. Turn competition into a coalition, and everyone breathes better.

Subsidize Affordable Business Spaces

If rent’s your most significant stressor, you’re not alone. But high costs don’t have to mean retreat—they can spark reinvention. More cities and regions are exploring creative ways to retain entrepreneurs by subsidizing affordable business spaces. This can mean nonprofit-led commercial real estate models, shared storefronts, time-based lease tiering, or philanthropic offsets. If you’re a property owner, consider structuring lease rates to reward local impact. If you’re a tenant, bring partners to the table. The more businesses survive the rent squeeze, the more resilient the entire street becomes.

Spread Risk Through Small Bets

Don’t put your future on one roll of the dice. In economic uncertainty, the strongest business strategy isn’t bold—it’s plural. Instead of relying on a single giant pivot, consider spreading risk through small bets. That could mean testing pop-up offerings, collaborating on a co-branded product, or running a low-cost pilot for a new service. Think nimble, not grand. Local businesses that invest in micro-pivots often outpace those chasing the next big thing. Momentum likes motion—don’t mistake scale for stability.

Economic shifts aren’t the end of a story. They’re the start of a recalibration. Local businesses have always adapted—not because they had to, but because they’re embedded in the very DNA of a place. If you’re reading this while the ground feels shaky, know this: you’re not failing. You’re flexing. And in that flex, there’s strategy, community, and rhythm—enough not just to survive, but to reshape what comes next.

Discover how ITB Partners can transform your business with expert management consulting solutions—visit ITB Partners to fuel your growth and achieve your goals today!

I appreciate your interest in ITB Partners.  For further information about ITB Partners and its Value-Added Strategy, please visit our website at www.itbpartners.com, or contact Jim Weber.

 

Jim Weber – Managing Partner,  ITB Partners

I hope you enjoyed our perspective and would like to receive regular posts directly in your email inbox. To this end, please put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read.  Your input is important to me, so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts.

Jim.Weber@itbpartners.com