Recruiting Andrew Yard - Ayoub Group

Joseph Rogers must determine how to convince Andrew Yard to join Ayoub Group short of his six months notice commitment.   His initial attempt, a  “ Join Soon Bonus” has not only failed, but may have jeopardized the recruitment by insulting Yard.  And recent developments within AYOUB Group has intensified the need to have Yard start work, immediately.  Rogers must find a way to induce Yard to negotiate himself out of his current contract, quickly.

Hypothesis 1:  Rogers failed to recognize Yard’s values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations.  

Discussion:  During recruitment interviews, Yard provided several keys and hints  to his belief system.  He planned to honor his six month notice commitment.”   Yard indicated he “ has several projects he wanted to complete“ , and he wanted to leave his current employment “on good terms.” Instead Rogers allowed his own VABES to railroad his efforts.  Rogers believed the common practice for departing employees to negotiate an early release, would apply to Yard. And he assumed that Yard’s unstated concern was with the ambiguity that commonly engulfed departure packages and terms of invested  equity and long term plans.  To mitigate these concerns, he sought to persuade Yard by offering him money. The offer of cash insulted Yard.  Yard found the offer implied that it “takes a bunch of money to get me to join quickly.  It’s not the money that’s keeping me at my current job…it’s that I feel like I have a duty to do a good job here during transition and to leave the business and my team in good shape.”

Hypothesis 2:   Rogers allowed accepted business practices to overshadow his recruitment efforts with Yard.

Discussion:  The business social norm or MEME is to leave the former employer, without concern or even regard for the potential effect on the operation. This MEME, while a business MEME did not apply to the high moral  business  leadership MEME of Yard.  To recap, a strong leader of high character: is able to” (1) recognize the moral elements inherent in situations, (2) how well one works out moral judgments, (3) how consistent one’s actions are with these judgments, and final to what extent one can teach or share theses abilities with others or provide leadership that influences their behaviour. “  (HBS 9-404-091, Note: On Human Behaviour:  Character and Situation, Nitin Nohria and Bridget Gurtler, Rev January 22, 2009, p2)   Roger’s learned  that  Yard exhibited the common traits of persons of high moral character,  described as “ tough and sometimes blunt, the ultimate professional, not charismatic but able to engender great loyalty from his people.”    These are indicators of Yards own social MEME, maintaining a reputation of high achievement and moral character.   Had Rogers recognized Yards MEME, he may have reconsidered offering money to induce Yards early departure, and offered non- monetary inducements.

Hypothesis 3:  Rogers failed to recognize Yard’s high Achiever orientation; thereby missing an opportunity to induce Yard to negotiate a quick release.

Andrew Yard exhibit’s the classic traits of the High Achiever.  It may be Andrew Yard is exhibiting the traits that can undermine the high achiever.  In overlooking these traits, Rogers missed an opportunity to induce Yard to quickly join Ayoub.  According to the facts, Yard committed to joining Ayoub Group.  All that remained was negotiating the details.  Rogers jumped to compensation.  But in fact, high achievers are motivated by non monetary values such as:  competition, passionate about work, desire for positive feedback and recognition, results producing results.  Yard may be delaying his departure because he possesses some behaviour that may get in the way of success:”  (High Achievers may be) Guilt-Ridden-driven to produce, but no matter how much they accomplish, they feel like they aren’t doing enough, A doer- Yard may believe that “nobody can do it as well as he can“.  This may make him a poor delegator or a micro-manager-thus his desire to remain with the company, for the additional months, to “finish the job.”( The Paradox of Excellence, Thomas DeLong and Sara DeLong, HBR, June 2011, p.3)

Recommendation:

Rogers must find a way to penetrate Yards high achievement orientation to induce his joining Ayoub Group,  soonest, without offending his morale character.  The following may achieve this:

1.  Apologize.  Persons of high moral character recognize and  respect the underlining strength required to admit mistakes. Apologizing for offending Yard is a good start to the discussion with Yard.  

2.  Recommend a compromise which will enable Yard to “keep his word.” Rogers must afford Yard no monetary alternatives that allow him to keep his reputation in tact.