OPINION | The Experience Glut: What Happens When Layoffs Flood Market With Senior Talent

The
layoffs
of
the
past
two
yea s
have
eleased
a
u usual
amou t
of
se io
tale t
i to
the
ma ket.
Tech ology
compa ies
we e
the
most
visible
pa ticipa ts,
but
the
moveme t
has
exte ded
ac oss
fi a cial
se vices,
p ofessio al
se vices,
co sume
busi esses,
a d
seve al
othe
secto s.

The
immediate
co seque ce
is
ofte
desc ibed
as
a
expe ie ce
glut:
mo e
accomplished
p ofessio als
competi g
fo
fewe
oles
of
compa able
scale.
That
desc iptio
is
di ectio ally
co ect,
but
i complete.
What
we
a e
seei g
is
ot
simply
a
excess
of
expe ie ce.
It
is
the
edist ibutio
a d
ep ici g
of
expe ie ce.

A
se io
leade
leavi g
a
la ge
o ga isatio
does
ot
ecessa ily
move
i to
a
equivale t
title,
compe satio
ba d,
o
i stitutio al
setti g.
Some
take
o
b oade
ma dates
i
smalle
compa ies.
Othe s
move
i to
adviso y
wo k,
e t ep e eu ship,
i te im
leade ship,
o
oles
i
adjace t
i dust ies.
A
few
emai
outside
fo mal
employme t
fo
lo ge
tha
expected.
The
t a sitio
is
eithe
seamless
o
u ifo mly
ewa di g.

Expe ie ce
Alo e
Is
No
Lo ge
E ough

Howeve ,
displaceme t
does
ot
make
capability
disappea .
It
sepa ates
the
i dividual
f om
the
o ga isatio
that
p eviously
ca ied,
amplified,
a d
occasio ally
co cealed
that
capability.

This
is
whe e
the
ma ket
becomes
mo e
exacti g.
Te u e,
title,
a d
employe
pedig ee
emai
useful
sig als,
but
they
a e
o
lo ge
sufficie t.
Whe
seve al
ca didates
have
held
se io
positio s
i
espected
o ga isatio s,
employe s
begi
to
look
mo e
closely
at
what
each
pe so
ca
ca y
i to
a
diffe e t
co text.

Ca
the
leade
build
without
abu da t
esou ces?
Ca
they
make
decisio s
whe
i fo matio
is
i complete?
Ca
they
c eate
alig me t
ac oss
fu ctio s,
i flue ce
difficult
stakeholde s,
u de sta d
custome s,
a d
take
espo sibility
fo
comme cial
outcomes?
Most
impo ta tly,
ca
they
explai
whe e
thei
judgeme t
cha ged
the
esult?

The
ma ket
does
ot
buy
a
e ti e
ca ee .
It
buys
the
pa t
of
that
ca ee
that
solves
a
p ese t
p oblem.

This
c eates
a
obligatio
fo
displaced
se io
p ofessio als.
They
must
move
beyo d
desc ibi g
what
they
ma aged
a d
a ticulate
the
value
they
ca
c eate.
A
sales
o ie tatio
becomes
impo ta t
he e,
ot
because
eve y
executive
must
become
a
salespe so ,
but
because
eve y
executive
must
u de sta d
dema d.
They
must
k ow
how
to
positio
thei
expe ie ce
agai st
a
employe & squo;s
p io ities,
commu icate
eleva ce
clea ly
a d
build
co fide ce
befo e
autho ity
is
fo mally
co fe ed
upo
them.

Employe s
also
eed
to
cha ge
thei
behaviou .
A
la ge
pool
of
available
leade s
may
c eate
the
imp essio
of
a
buye & squo;s
ma ket,
but
abu da ce
ca
p oduce
poo
judgeme t.
O ga isatio s
may
delay
decisio s,
sea ch
fo
u ealistic
combi atio s
of
expe ie ce
o
mistake
availability
fo
suitability.
The
adva tage
belo gs
to
employe s
that
defi e
the
ma date
clea ly
a d
assess
ca didates
fo
t a sfe able
judgeme t,
adaptability,
a d
the
ability
to
c eate
value
i
thei
specific
e vi o me t.

ALSO
READ:

AI,
Automatio
Reshape
I dia& squo;s
Telecom
Jobs
As
5G
Hi i g
Boom
Slows

AI
Will
Rep ice
Leade ship,
Not
Replace
It

A tificial
i tellige ce
will
add
a othe
laye
to
this
t a sitio ,
but
it
is
u likely
to
be
its
sole
d ive .
It
will
place
p essu e
o
ma age ial
wo k
built
mai ly
a ou d
epo ti g,
coo di atio ,
a d
p ocess
supe visio .
At
the
same
time,
it
will
i c ease
the
value
of
leade s
who
ca
combi e
tech ological
efficie cy
with
huma
judgeme t,
comme cial
i sti ct,
a d
accou tability.

Eve y
ma ket
co ectio
c eates
loss.
It
also
eleases
people,
ideas,
a d
capabilities
f om
established
st uctu es.
Some
se io
p ofessio als
will
st uggle
to
egai
thei
p evious
positio .
Othe s
will
discove
that
thei
ext
ole
offe s
wide
autho ity,
g eate
ow e ship,
o
the
oppo tu ity
to
build
somethi g
of
thei
ow .

The
expe ie ce
glut
is
the efo e
ot
me ely
a
sto y
of
ove supply.
It
is
a
test
of
eleva ce.
The
leade s
who
ca
make
thei
value
visible,
a d
the
o ga isatio s
bold
e ough
to
ecog ise
it
will
shape
what
comes
ext.

Fo tu e,
as
eve ,
favou s
the
bold.

(The
autho
is
a
& bsp;Pa t e
at
Sapphi e
Huma
Capital)

iethThe
opi io s,
beliefs,
a d
views
exp essed
by
the
va ious
autho s
a d
fo um
pa ticipa ts
o
this
website
a e
pe so al
a d
do
ot
eflect
the
opi io s,
beliefs,
a d
views
of
ABP
Netwo k
Pvt.
Ltd.