Didn’t make partner this year … now what?

Each year, there can be lots of excitement around welcoming the newest cohort into the Partnership … but what about those who didn’t make it? Perhaps we’re less apt to turn our attention to these candidates because it’s uncomfortable. This can, however, store up problems that will come back to bite. Read on to hear what I’ve learned about how to look after this important talent during a critical segment of their career.

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Let’s start with the reasons candidates don’t make it. While our minds may rush to worst-case scenarios, such as bombed panel interviews, lacklustre financial performance, or getting along poorly with VIPs in the Partnership, the realities are often less sensational.

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I’ve seen an interesting mix of reasons over the years. Some that come up time and again are:

• “No room in the inn” – frequently, there simply isn’t space in a Partnership to admit all the Partnership-worthy candidates in that year, which means some stellar performers will need to wait.
• “Not quite there” – yes, the candidate has excellent potential and the backing of influential sponsors, but there are a few developmental points the candidate would be better off addressing before facing the additional pressure of Partnership.
• “Who are you?” – the home practice is fully committed to admitting their star candidate, but he/she doesn’t have the visibility to snag a win in the competitive firm-wide vote.
• And finally, the “Oh no!” – despite concerted efforts to maintain a tidy shop, something falls through the cracks and risk management can’t bless the candidate’s admission.

Looking across these reasons, you may notice some factors are squarely in the candidate’s control … and others are almost entirely out of their control. As an executive coach who has supported scores of Partners over this threshold, I have learned it is hugely valuable to keep that idea of control in the frame throughout the process. That brings us to the first of five tips for supporting candidates who do not make Partner:

On the runway to Partnership, I encourage candidates to feel a strong sense of agency, nudging them to raise their profile and get out there to influence decision-making. That said, I also remind them that the ultimate decision is not only out of their control, but it may even be out of a heavy-weight sponsors’ control. If it’s been a terrible year, firms may decide to categorically halt admissions, or at least limit them to those still in the queue from the prior year.

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Many a time we have seen sponsors not quite fulfilling their roles in the process (e.g. not being in tune to the firm’s requirements for Partnership or not giving the candidate enough of their time to fine tune the business case). Sponsors need to be honest when this has happened, so that the weight of ‘blame’ is not solely shouldered by the candidate.

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Setting realistic expectations at the beginning of the runway pays dividends later in the unfortunate case of missing admission. Bring the point to life with stories of high-flier Partners who took more than one stab at it themselves. Also remind candidates to manage the expectations of peers, family and friends. Some clients have reported that the tougher, “I didn’t make it this year,” conversations have been with spouses, in-laws and grad-school classmates, not their colleagues inside the firm, who are more attuned to the business context affecting Partner admissions that year.

Even if expectations have been well-managed, many candidates will feel an emotional punch to the gut upon learning the disappointing news. I find a simple explanation of the reasons and a sincere acknowledgement of their strengths is a good first step. Then, it’s about giving them some space, if they want it.

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I try to be there to offer empathy for my coaching clients when they learn the outcome, but then we often pause our dialogue for them to take time to reflect. Many of my clients have reported that they needed a few weeks to process the grief, frustration or other strong emotions associated with the outcome. Of course, ‘BAU’ work continues in the firm – it’s rather the conversations about Partner admissions that may need to go on hold.

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A few years ago, a very self-aware candidate I was coaching asked for 45 days before reconvening because he knew that was the kind of window he needed to process it all (and take a much-needed vacation – good idea!). And guess what, the person I saw at that next session was the familiar, confident candidate I knew from before. He was refreshed and ready to consider what next.

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We might feel a rush to ‘pep talk’ the disheartened candidate back onto the runway, but that won’t be effective if the candidate isn’t ready to re-engage. Watch for opportunities to gently encourage candidates to take time to reflect, especially if you observe they lack self-compassion. While we’re all for resilience, it needs to be true resilience, not a forced appearance of it. This can be a valuable time for reflection and renewal, and for some, it helps to hear from a colleague that it’s okay to pause for a bit.

After a thoughtful pause, there’s an opportunity to revisit plans for the year ahead. Once I see candidates are ready to think about the future, I encourage them to do a favour for their future selves by asking them to ponder: “What do I want to do in this year to position myself more strongly and make it easier when I do land in the Partnership?”

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Let’s be clear, we’re not trying to spin a positive attitude, but rather we are inviting the candidate to be planful and intentional about using the additional time they have. Candidates can tend to focus on mistakes they made in the process (e.g. “I didn’t articulate my personal case strongly”, “I didn’t win over the MP”, “I fell short on examples of collaboration across the firm)”. Fair enough, it’s right to consider what could be done differently. Repositioning is not just about fixing errors, though, rather it’s about coming to the Partnership on a stronger footing. It’s for approaching it from above, not just barely reaching it on tip toes.

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Time and again, coachees who made Partner on their second attempts tell me they felt they benefited in the long run from the extended runway to pick up speed. I rarely hear feelings of regret about the extra time, and sometimes they forget about it altogether.

Even if development gaps persist, if this is a person the firm was considering for Partnership, chances are the glass is mostly full. Accordingly, there should be benefits, not only for the candidate in terms of exposure but also for the firm, in having them involved in more leadership activities. This can be attendance at appropriate parts of all-Partners’ meetings, more responsibility in managing external relationships, or higher-profile internal assignments to give a helpful ‘heads-up’ on the business ownership aspects of being in a Partnership.

If a candidate feels he/she has been in an exhausting ‘performance mode’ under the spotlight for the past several months, receiving additional duties can feel like their failure is being taken advantage of. It’s not about piling on more work, assuming candidates won’t complain because they’re still trying to prove how hungry they are for Partnership. Instead, it’s about raising candidates’ exposure and amplifying their voices, which may go some way to keeping them interested and motivated on the longer runway.

As mentioned above, do provide clear reasons that the candidate did not make Partnership. And if those reasons are likely to persist, say so. This is not only kind, it also opens the way for the firm to discuss alternatives. I’ve seen some candidates land in rewarding principal, director or of counsel specialist roles that play to their strengths and ambitions in a way that fits them better than Partnership likely would have.

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I’ve also seen firms help candidates find rewarding, high-profile roles in the market that allow the parties to maintain healthy, collaborative relationships. It might feel unkind to step on somebody’s dream of making Partner, but when said with sensitivity and belief in the candidate’s potential to progress in other ways, it can prove incredibly kind.

To recap, when somebody misses making Partner, there can a period of discomfort for those involved, but with honesty, space to reflect, and encouragement to use the extra time to the fullest, we can see candidates come out of the experience strongly.

If you would like to find out more about the work we do at the Tall Wall with Partners in professional services firms, get in touch at hello@thetallwall.com and find out more at www.thetallwall.com.

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Read more about supporting Partners:

• Turning promotion into leadership: the Partner transition
• Strategies for tackling the unique challenges of parental leave as a Professional Services Partner