Career Decision Risks

Today, a VP of Product reached out asking if I’d be willing to have a “quick backchannel conversation” about a candidate he’s considering hiring. His reasoning? “You only get the best side of someone during the interview process.” That request stopped me cold. I said yes—but only so I could tell him directly that backchanneling is not a practice I agree with or participate in. I only proceeded because I happened to have positive firsthand experience with the candidate, and I wanted to advocate for them. But I left that conversation unsettled. Let me be clear: - Backchanneling is unprofessional. - It’s slanderous when done to discredit someone. - And if you’re still employed at the same company as the candidate, it can be illegal. No one should ever speak off-the-record in a way that could jeopardize someone else’s opportunity for employment. If a candidate wants you to serve as a reference, they'll ask you directly. And if you're hiring, respect the process: interview thoroughly, ask for thoughtful references, and make an informed decision based on facts—not whispers. Backchanneling is lazy hiring dressed up as due diligence. It violates trust. It fuels bias. And it has no place in a professional, equitable hiring process. Let’s do better. ___________________________________________________________________ 🔄 UPDATE: I want to add a few clarifications based on the thoughtful discussion happening in the comments: The VP of Product who reached out to me was a leader at another company—someone I didn’t know personally. “Backchanneling” refers to the common (and problematic) practice of contacting former managers or colleagues of a candidate for an unofficial reference—without the candidate’s knowledge or consent. I’m grateful for the positive and constructive dialogue this post has sparked. Thank you all for engaging with honesty and care. 🙏

Your employment offer letter is not your employment agreement. What is verbally told to you in the interview process can change. Before you resign from your old employer, get EVERYTHING in writing. Make sure there are no surprises. That you have a chance to review anything you will be expected to sign before you resign from your old job. I have heard the following story several times recently. So, beware. I spoke to a rep named Mike, who was very angry. He was bait and switched during the interview process. He was verbally told about the comp plan, quota, and accelerators. He was offered the job through an employment letter. It included his base salary, title, start date, benefits, and a few other basic pieces of information. Mike signed the letter and resigned from his old employer. After joining his new company a few weeks later things were different. He was given an employment agreement and compensation plan to sign. The comp plan was very different than what was discussed. The quota was considerably higher, the accelerators were lower. Mike estimated that his earnings would be $60k less than expected. The plan also called for commissions to be paid on collections and quarterly, something Mike had never experienced in his sales career. The plan also said that commissions would not be paid upon departure. That he was not eligible for earned commissions if not employed. The employment agreement had overly restrictive clauses. The non-compete, non-solicit and non-disparage were vague and one-sided. Mike feels stuck. He does not want to work there anymore. He is worried that the non-compete could limit his employment. He is worried that the short stay on his resume will harm him as well. Mike learned a big lesson the hard way. He wants me to share his story to help you to avoid it happening to you. Never resign until everything is in writing and finalized. Leave nothing open to interpretation or gaslighting. Don't let them make you feel guilty for getting everything in writing. If they do, they likely never intended to honor it in the first place.

Silent Red Flags in a Contract Not all contract risks are obvious. Some don’t wave big red flags they sit there quietly, sipping coffee, waiting to ruin your day when it’s too late. Here are a few sneaky ones to watch out for: 1. Termination Notice that has a trap ex: “Either party may terminate by giving a 90-day prior written notice by registered post.” This sounds fine until the other party refuses to accept mail, leaving you stuck. Flexibility in notice delivery methods (emails, RPAD, etc.) helps avoid this. 2. Auto-Renewal that feels like some subscription you forgot to cancel ex: A contract that auto-renews unless terminated 60 days before expiry. Missed the deadline? Congratulations, you just bought another term of commitment. Always check renewal terms and negotiate flexibility. 3. ‘Reasonable Efforts’ without a guiding light ex: “The service provider shall take all reasonable steps to ensure 99.5% website up-time.” Reasonable to whom? The client? The universe? Always define obligations with measurable standards. 4. Confidentiality that lasts forever ex: “The receiving party shall never disclose or use the confidential information.” Never is a long time, longer than some companies exist. A well-drafted clause should account for practical realities (disclosures required by law, etc.). 5. One-sided dispute resolution ex: “All disputes shall be resolved by arbitration, and the Party A shall appoint the arbitrator.” Agreeing to this means you’re going to their turf every time. Always ensure jurisdiction and dispute resolution are neutral. 6. Hidden costs in referenced documents ex: The main contract looks great, but a linked “Standard Terms & Conditions” document quietly adds extra fees, penalties, and other nightmares. Always review referenced docs. for no surprises. 7. ‘Best efforts’ vs. ‘Commercially reasonable efforts (CRE)’ ex: “The contractor shall use its best efforts to complete the project on time.” Best efforts could mean working 24/7 with unlimited resources. CRE = practical, business-minded execution. Choose wisely. 8. Non-Compete clauses that overreach ex: “The employee shall not engage in a competing business at any time in the future.” is a legal life sentence. Restrictions ought to be reasonable in scope, and duration. 9. Force Majeure that helps one side ex: “In case of an unforeseeable event, Party A is excused from obligations.” And Party B? Well… good luck. Force majeure should work both ways. 10. Silent Assignment clauses ex: You sign a contract with a trusted vendor, only to realize they’ve assigned their obligations to an unknown entity. Avoid unpleasant surprise, and require written consent before assignment. A little ambiguity is unavoidable. But when vagueness creates risk, or gives one party too much control, that’s when alarms should go off. #ContractReview #InHouseCounsel

If you have a job in 2025, hold on to that job. Do not quit. I've been in recruiting for a decade. And I've never seen candidates struggle as much as they are on this job market. If you happen to get laid off, or find yourself as part of a restructuring, you are going to really struggle out there. Because right now you have to apply to hundreds and thousands of jobs. Because every single job is receiving hundreds and thousands of applications. It has become a complete numbers game. On top of that, once you get into interview processes, we're not seeing a two to four week turnaround. Some of these interviews processes are taking three months, four months, five months, they're going on for seven rounds, eight rounds, nine rounds of interviews. We are seeing many assessments, assignments and even after all that, companies are ghosting candidates. They’re changing their minds, putting roles on hold, or cutting budgets altogether. So if you have a stable job right now — even if it’s not your dream job, even if it’s not perfect — hold onto it. Focus on doing well where you are, upskilling, and building internal relationships. Because out there, it’s tough. People are waiting months just to hear back, and by the time they do, the position is already filled or canceled. I’m not saying don’t have ambition or that you shouldn’t look for better opportunities. But in this market, you need to be strategic. Don’t leave stability for uncertainty unless you have something 100% confirmed and signed. This market will recover, but right now, it’s brutal. Be smart, be patient, and protect your paycheck.” Sarah A

The January JOLTS report out today shows employers & workers alike are sitting tight in this job market: 1. The hires rate fell to 3.6%, continuing a string of weak gross hiring numbers, comparable to levels seen in 2017. Employers are holding back on hiring aggressively as they wait to see how the economy will evolve after a few years of more rapid hiring. Additionally, weak hiring may help explain why worker sentiment has been soft as job seekers find it difficult to find their next career move. 2. And that shows up in quits: The quits rate fell to 2.1% as workers sit tight. If workers lack confidence in the job market, they are unlikely to quit, instead prioritizing job security over career/income growth. 3. Despite a raft of layoff headlines in January, measured layoffs actually ticked down to 1,572,000. This is low by historical standards (layoffs averaged ~1.8m/month in the 2010s) and suggests employers are pulling back on hiring but still holding onto existing workers. 4. Openings fell slightly to 8,863,000 in January, continuing their unsteady downward trend. I would caution against just focusing on openings as a measure of job market health. While openings are still very high, other indicators from JOLTS like hires or quits tell a story of a job market that is flirting with weakness outright or at least pointing to softer wage growth ahead. Overall, this points to a job market where job seekers & employees feel like there aren't good opportunities on the open market and are sitting tight as a result. Thankfully, layoffs remain low, but unless employers feel the confidence to reaccelerate hiring, the pause we are in may make it harder for new/returning workers to get their foot in the door and existing workers to level up their careers. #economy #news #JOLTS

One of the worst feelings working on contracts is when you knowingly sign a terrible contract. You may have no leverage and be stuck with the counterparty's standard terms. You may be doing a deal with a counterparty only willing to move forward on one-sided terms. Of course, you can always choose to walk away and not sign. That's what most lawyers will advise because doing no deal is often better than doing a bad deal. But sometimes companies make a risk decision that doing no deal in this case is a worse outcome than signing a bad deal. While you may be stuck without typical contractual protections and options, there may be things you can do before and after you sign the contract to protect the company. 1. Try to shorten the term of the agreement – Signing unfavorable contracts is risky, but it becomes much riskier when you are locked in for a longer term. Try to reduce the term to your minimum viable length that still makes it worthwhile to preserve other options if things turn out as you fear. 2. Shift what you can to the statement of work or order form – Moving concepts to the statement of work (SOW) or order form may make it easier to make changes during the term. Most companies have less review and scrutiny over those changes. Your relationship lead at the counterparty may be able to make adjustments that you wouldn’t get through as a formal amendment. 3. Reduce the purchase scope even if it leads to a higher price – See if you can reduce the minimum purchase quantity or feature set, even if it means paying more per unit or hour. Think of that additional per-unit fee as a risk premium. It may give you options to reduce the amount of damage or loss you face from the deal if things go sideways. 4. If payment terms are the problem, talk to Finance about the best strategy – If the payment terms are onerous or have severe consequences for any delay, have a conversation with your Finance team. You may be able to reduce that risk with prepayment or extra monitoring to ensure no problems occur. 5. If you are stuck with low liability limits, look into additional insurance or resources – If you are facing low liability limits, explore operational strategies to reduce the risks. These include getting additional insurance, adding more technology to monitor and track, or hiring more people to oversee the work. These things make it easier to stop little problems from becoming big ones. 6. If it is just a bad deal overall, start evaluating other vendors and solutions – Work in parallel to identify alternative paths that might meet your needs. That diligence may clarify available options or your lack of them. You should also consider how to expand your options through operational changes or hiring for specific skillsets. Don’t wait for trouble to happen. Do what you can to reduce your vulnerability before and after entering into a terrible deal. What other advice would you add for dealing with terrible contracts? #Contracts

I had been with my previous employer for a long time, so I knew a layoff might eventually happen. I thought, “All I need is a solid, updated resume, and I’ll be good to go.” Oh, how naïve I was! 😊 Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had prepared earlier to make the transition smoother. Here are my takeaways: • LinkedIn Set up your profile. LinkedIn has great guides to help you, but it takes time and effort to make it truly shine. Grow your network. Start now! Connect with current colleagues, former co-workers, friends, and family. Your network is more powerful than you realize. • Learn how to use AI tools: AI is a game-changer. Whether it’s tailoring resumes, brainstorming interview responses, or negotiating offers, it’s an incredible resource I didn’t even know existed! • Resume: Yes, you need an excellent, updated resume—but here’s the catch: you’ll need to tailor it for every single job application. It’s worth the effort! • References: Start gathering references now. It’s so much easier to ask while you’re still in a role than after you've left. • Document your achievements: You’d be amazed at how hard it is to recall accomplishments when you’re under pressure. Keep track of them now! Old performance reviews can be a goldmine for this. • Prepare for stress: Being unemployed is stressful, even with a good severance package. The job search process can be disheartening—rejections, ghosting, and no responses can make you doubt yourself. Build a support system now, whether it’s friends, family, or a community. For me, daily journaling has been a lifesaver. Despite the challenges, I’m staying positive and focused on finding the right opportunity—one where I’m the perfect fit for the company, and the company is the perfect fit for me. I know it’s out there; we just haven’t found each other yet!

"We needed this person yesterday." Throughout my career, so many recruitment processes started with this phrase from a Hiring Manager. There is no doubt that some roles are genuinely urgent. Yet, too often, this mantra of urgency becomes a reflex—a knee-jerk reaction ingrained in our professional DNA. A mentality born out of habit and perhaps the panic from discovering you're losing a team member, a valued employee. I remember many occasions where a vacancy started with this phrase, and then the role changed or was never filled, and......everyone was ok. There are unintended consequences when we initiate a recruitment process with an unwavering focus on speed. It restricts a recruiter's ability to: ✅ Meticulously evaluate their talent pool before presenting candidates, fearing delays might cost them. ✅ Advocate for candidates who cannot operate at the same speed and pace as the rest of the pool ✅ Disrupt and challenge biases throughout without fear of not meeting deadlines or commercial goals Starting a recruitment process with an exclusive focus on speed means that you're creating a race. A race that likely the most privileged will win. So, here's a friendly reminder: In recruitment, speed is the enemy of inclusion and the best friend of privilege. Food for thought or unpopular opinion? Join me in the comments. #InclusiveRecruitment #InclusiveHiring #SpeedKillsInclusion

⚠️ BEFORE YOU SIGN THAT OFFER LETTER - READ THIS! Excitement can make anyone rush to say “I accept!” But that few-page offer letter could determine your freedom, side hustle, money, and future job options. Many employees don’t realize they signed away their rights until it’s too late. Here are 5 key clauses you must read carefully before signing any job offer 1. Intellectual Property Clause “Anything you create belongs to us.” This sounds simple until it’s not. Some companies claim ownership of everything you create, even on weekends or your personal laptop. Example: A designer creates brand templates for her side business. Her employer later claims it’s their property. Tip: Ensure it applies only to things created during work hours, using company tools, and for company projects. 2. Non-Compete Clause “You can’t work for a competitor after leaving.” This can be a career trap. Some firms ban you from working in the same industry for up to 2 years, even if that’s your field of expertise. Example: An ex-marketer from an FMCG brand gets a better offer elsewhere, but can’t take it because of a restrictive clause. Tip: Look at the scope, duration, and industry. A fair non-compete shouldn’t last more than 6 months. 3. Confidentiality (NDA) Clause “You must not disclose company information.” Standard but know your limits. It’s meant to protect business data, not silence you from speaking about your experience or exposing wrongdoing. Example: An employee reports harassment and is told, “You’re breaching your NDA.” That’s misuse. Tip: Ensure it clearly defines what counts as “confidential.” It shouldn’t override your legal or ethical rights. 4. Termination Clause “We can terminate your employment with/without notice.” This determines how and when you can be let go and what you’ll be paid. Example: A staff member was terminated immediately “without cause" and received no severance or notice pay. Tip: The clause should apply both ways (for you and the employer). Check the notice period or compensation terms. 5. Probation Period Clause “During probation, either party may terminate without notice.” That’s the line most people skip. Probation can last 3-6 months, but some companies quietly extend it indefinitely. Example: A friend stayed “on probation” for 10 months; no confirmation, no benefits, no raise. Tip: Confirm when probation ends, and what changes after confirmation (benefits, pay, rights). Your excitement shouldn’t cost you your freedom. Before you sign... read, understand, ask questions, and seek advice. You deserve clarity as much as you deserve the job. Have you ever discovered a surprising clause after signing an offer letter? Share your experience, others could learn from it. #CareerTips #JobSeekers #HRInsights #Workplace #Contracts #CareerAdvice #EmploymentLaw #NigeriaJobs #JobSearch #ProfessionalGrowth #HRBecca

More often than not, people who change jobs later admit they did it too early. They moved not because they had clarity, but because they were uncomfortable with not knowing. That discomfort is costing people their best career moves. If you feel restless at work but cannot yet articulate what you want instead, that is not a weakness. It may be the most strategically useful phase of your career. Here’s how to use it well: 1. Treat uncertainty as an expansion, not a gap When you stop forcing yourself to name the next role, you give your thinking room to widen. Instead of asking what job you want, ask where you have done your best work before and under what conditions. Patterns emerge when pressure lifts. 2. Learn to separate signals from fear Ambiguity makes everything louder, especially anxiety. Fear pushes you toward familiar roles that look good on paper. Curiosity shows up quietly in the work you lose track of time doing. One leads to safety. The other leads to direction. 3. Build your future around skills, not titles Titles lock you into narrow paths. Skills travel. Inventory what you are genuinely good at and where those capabilities could matter in different contexts. Then identify one or two skills worth deepening before you decide anything else. 4. Replace purpose statements with purposeful days Purpose rarely appears as a single sentence. It shows up in how you allocate your time, who you help consistently, and what you choose not to pursue. Alignment comes from daily decisions, not grand declarations. Career clarity is often iterative and occasionally messy. Rushing to resolve uncertainty usually trades short-term relief for long-term regret. If you are between chapters, resist the urge to force an answer. The uncertainty is not something to escape. It’s information worth listening to.