What are the biggest changes you've seen in the job market for executives?

There's less loyalty today, both from companies and executives. With major downsizings, impatient boards and shareholder pressure, the tenure of executives is less than it used to be. There's also not as much stigma about job hopping if an executive can prove strong contributions made. With sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, it's become a buyers' market where everyone's for sale at the right price, for the right role, for the cool company.

Is there more movement in front offices than in the past? Are there "serial executives"?

In good times, there's more of a willingness to look at new and interesting companies that are more of a "flyer" because options are more available if it doesn't work out. There are definitely startup entrepreneurs who are there for the early days of a company but are not the maintainers beyond the first years. We look at length of tenure for executives and would see a midsize- to largecompany "serial executive" as a higher-risk hire. Change at the top creates ripple effects, and it's costly for someone to come in for a short time unless it's a start-up or a turnaround.

What positions seem to be the hardest to fill, and why?

Each position has its own challenges, but the CEO position is often the most challenging because there's a limited supply for a given industry and the stakes are much higher in terms of getting the right cultural fit for the company. Bring in the wrong person at this level and it is a costly hiring mistake on so many levels (severance, company decline, etc.). Next in terms of difficulty are vice presidents of sales and marketing. Sales is difficult because often the best salespeople are not the best executives. Marketing is difficult because there are so many different types of needs, and it is critical to gauge whether it's a branding-focused need [or] a lead generation need.

What advice would you give to executives seeking to change jobs?

Keep your professional network current and don't reach out to people only when you want your next job. Make sure you help others along the way so that when you're ready for a move, others will help you in return.

What are some tips employers could use to make a great hire?

One, cultural and values fit should be a key hiring focus. People are hired for what they know and fired for who they are. Develop a set of interview questions that address this and use them for everyone you interview. Two, don't fall in love with a candidate too quickly. Ensure you're looking at all their capabilities, rather than hiring them because they are just like you. The best hire might be completely different from you. And three, use personality and style indicators to look at how an executive complements other managers.

What executive do you most admire, and what are the traits that person has?

John Chambers, the CEO of Cisco. He's customer-focused, treats his employees with respect, and is a balanced individual. Cisco has done a great job of mergers and acquisitions. They understand that it's all about the people in leveraging the value of the assets they purchase. Two local executives I admire are David Giuliani (founder of Sonicare and now Clarisonic) and Jim Sinegal (CEO of Costco). They have retained their humbleness and "plain spoken" styles even after major financial and company successes.