2022 Year in Review

What a year it was—from “The Great Resignation” with record numbers of recruiters hired in Q1, to the media-fueled summer of “quiet quitting,” to the layoffs surrounding tech and adjacent sectors in Q4.

Throughout the year, we partnered with a crew of bright and passionate senior-level coaching clients representing 12 states and Canada. They came to us from companies like Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, Roblox, Adobe, T-Mobile, AmEx, Toast, Slalom, Starbucks—and many more.

We saw tremendous outcomes using our proven approach to develop leadership capabilities and prepare candidates for successful job searches and interview loops.

Career Themes We Loved in 2022

Resistance of Work Intensification: As the push to “do more with less” strengthens, employees are resisting the call to increase productivity and squeeze more out of each day. Consider Elon Musk’s emails to Twitter employees with references to “hardcore” and “intense work.” This approach disregards employee motivations and mindsets. In fact, Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Special Report (September 2022) revealed that 53% of employees are more likely to prioritize health and wellbeing over work than before the pandemic.

The Role of the Manager is Elevated: The phrase “people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad managers” is not new, but the opportunity for managers to embrace its meaning has never been greater. Managers shape culture and performance and understand how they impact not only their own teams, but cross-functional teams as well. Additionally, when hiring picks up, managers will have deeper talent pools to hire from which will strengthen their teams and deepen their impact.

Pay Transparency is Here to Stay: Last year we reported that the societal norm of being hush-hush around compensation was fading. Now multiple cities and states (including new requirements from WA and CA) have adopted salary transparency laws. This legislation, coupled with increased employer reporting on pay equity, is making pay transparency the new normal—or at least the new candidate expectation. Within our career coaching portfolio, we’ve seen this culture shift boost client’s confidence in asking industry contacts and colleagues about compensation—a key component to inform expectations and negotiations.

We coach our clients to measure data, needs, and outcomes and we do the same ourselves here at CloseCohen. We are pleased to share our metrics and insights with you for the fourth year in a row.

2022 Insights

Percentage of clients who sought executive coaching services: 46%
Percentage of clients who sought to prepare for a senior level job search: 54%

Top 5 Incoming Client Titles Most Commonly Held, ranked:
#1. Senior Director / Director
#2. Senior Manager / Head
#3. Senior VP / VP
#4. Manager
#5. Executive / C-Suite

Top 5 Incoming Client Industries Most Commonly Represented, ranked:
#1. Big Tech
#2. B2B SaaS
#3. Wireless and Non-Profit / Civic (tie)
#4. CPG / Retail
#5. Pharma / Healthcare and Consulting / Agency (tie)

Top 5 Incoming Client Subject Matter Expertise, ranked:
#1. Product Management
#2. Engineering
#3. Creative / UX
#4. Marketing
#5. Data & Analytics / Program Management (tie)

2021 Insights

The time it takes to find a job varies based on economic conditions, industry, level, function, and geography. On average, job seekers can expect 6-12 months for their search. Therefore, it would be premature to evaluate the outcomes of our 2022 job seeking clients, particularly those we partnered with in Q3-Q4. Instead, we look to 2021 data to understand 2022 emerging patterns.

Percentage of 2021 clients who sought executive coaching services: 36%
Percentage of 2021 clients who sought to prepare for a senior-level job search: 64%

In 2021, we coached 62 job seekers. As of January 2023:

• Number of clients who moved to a new company: 42
• Number of clients who were promoted internally rather than moving to a new company: 9

It truly has been our privilege to partner with each and every one of our clients. We are honored to be entrusted with your career growth and add value to your development. We care about your outcomes and are delighted to be in your corner.

We’re excited for what’s to come in the year ahead and look forward to a bright 2023 with you!

Warmly,

Alisa Cohen & Laura Close

P.S. Ready to land your next role, secure your promotion, or uplevel your outcomes in 2023? Contact us to advance your career with senior-level candidate coaching or executive coaching.