Year-end hiring, or “Q4 placement” as search firms refer to it, is always tricky. Your ideal target candidate is likely within 120 days of receiving her annual bonus pay-out.  If you are a General Counsel seeking to fill an open position, you will have to lobby within your C-suite to authorize a “make whole” signing bonus or equity grant.  If the grade level is high enough, you might be successful.

But 2023 presents an additional challenge.  The supply of quality candidates willing to make a move is low.  For those of you who have kindly followed this column (almost 20 years now!), you know I don’t cry wolf with respect to talent supply and demand assessments.  Legal departments are attractive destinations and open positions generate interest.  Nonetheless, companies are struggling to fill them.