How Executives Get Better Jobs (More Quickly)

Relates occupational personality profiles of 101 redundant senior executives to their success in obtaining new jobs. Executives were assessed using a broad spectrum personality questionnaire (16PF), an interpersonal relations inventory (Firo‐B) and the SHL management interest inventory. The measures of job‐hunting success were time to be placed in a new job after first being made redundant, new salary and increase in salary over previous level. Average age of the sample was 42.4 years, most were males and had spent an average of 11.8 years with their last organization. Time to get a new job ranged between one and 12 months and averaged 3.9 months, new salary averaged £35,670, and changes in salary ranged from a decrease of £25,000 to an increase of £67,000, and averaged £3,430. Findings suggest that executives who were intelligent, resilient, assertive, yet sensitive to others, and who were relatively more experienced and well‐motivated were significantly more effective at job‐hunting.