Across the spectrum of enterprises - small. medium and large there seems to persist a serious inadequacy - how to hire, induct, empower and successfully absorb senior laterals.
It is well documented that a company hires senior laterals from industry with a specific purpose - fulfill a skill and knowledge gap in particular areas required by the company because of business reasons.
The leadership or management of the company takes the decision and after some serious search and evaluation they on-board the right talent.
There is a lot of fanfare inducting the senior resource but there is seldom a structured process by which the new one gets into the system, get accepted, empowered and adds value.
Many such laterals have a hard time settling in because the “what’s-the-new-knowledge-this-guy-brought-which-we-already-don’t-have” syndrome of the existing seniors takes over and prevents provision of space to the new comer.
- Is it insecurity?
- Is it a cultural issue?
- Is it inability to empower?
- Is it an issue of cost parity?
This is an issue that needs attention of managements and leaders.
Management thinks we have the champion now let him deliver.
These senior laterals leave good jobs/positions to grab a new challenging opportunity and when peers and subordinates make environment hostile for above discussed reasons the newcomer wonders if he/she did the right thing in signing up.
Coaching can be a very good effective intervention. Both the management - senior and mid layer and leadership teams could do with coaching intervention to discuss the importance of enabling success of laterals, enable greater awareness and realization that they have a challenge on hand, help them resolve issues that impedes success and get them to work on an action plan so that the net result is a win-win for all stake holders.