2023 Year in Review

Farewell to 2023! Adiós, ciao, au revoir, however you want to say it, peace out to 2023. Feels good to breathe in the fresh possibilities of 2024. But, we’d be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to look back and reflect on all the hard work of this past year.

As a leader, 2023 demanded resiliency and adaptability to navigate everything from resource constraints and stagnant growth.. Our senior-level clients demonstrated these strengths remarkably, achieving their ambitious career goals in spite of this challenging environment.

We strategized with these leaders as they called for flexibility and human connection in the face of return to office mandates. We coached them through balancing performance and results with layoffs and hiring freezes. And we championed their own well-being while showing up as empathetic and emotionally intelligent leaders for their teams.

It’s been a privilege to partner with such inspiring leaders from companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Spotify, Roblox, Twitch, PayPal, Toast, REI, Starbucks, Nestle, Walmart, T-Mobile, and so many more in 2023. They came to us from 3 countries and 11 states/provinces—spanning from Seattle to Austin, the San Francisco Bay Area to NYC, LA to DC, and many points in-between.

Whether for senior-level candidate preparation, leadership coaching, or executive development, we continued to see breakthrough results and outcomes throughout the year.

Career Themes We Loved in 2023

All Things AI: Can we talk about 2023 without talking about AI? Nope. From product development to copy editing to shortcutting the job search process, AI impacted the business landscape in huge ways. While almost half of the workforce is worried about AI replacing their jobs, most are eager to delegate as much of their workload as possible. Take that mentality with you as you tackle this coming year – find new AI tools and shortcuts to add to your team’s toolkit.

Flexibility in the Workplace: Flexibility was front and center this past year as return to office mandates flooded corporations. In a “post-pandemic” world, companies are trying to figure out what the “new normal” will be. Five days a week in the office? Hybrid? Continuing with a fully remote workforce? Study after study showcased how flexibility contributed to a more diverse workplace and one that was tremendously more beneficial to caregivers. But, could it also negatively impact promotion prospects, team collaboration, or company culture? We will continue this conversation with our clients into 2024 as leaders and teams adapt to, yet again, a new way to work.

Leaning into Your Network: No corporate jargon needs a rebrand more than networking. Just hearing the word makes your hands break out in a sweat. But, networking was one of the most crucial tools for our clients in achieving their ambitious goals this year. Our clients benefited significantly from a robust network, gaining increased access to decision-makers, valuable information, collaborative ventures, and numerous opportunities. If building and maintaining your network isn’t on your goals for 2024, add it now.

Prioritizing Mental Well-Being: Most employees are no longer willing to trade a huge paycheck for an unhealthy workplace. A recent study from HP highlighted 83% of surveyed individuals are willing to earn less to work somewhere with empathetic, emotionally intelligent leadership, and above-average employee engagement and fulfillment. We anticipate most company cultures are not prepared to tackle this in 2024, but the leaders and companies who are will see the long-term benefits in hiring, retention, and growth. Our executive coaching clients are getting ahead of this now by implementing strategies and tools to safeguard both their own well-being and that of their teams.

2023 Insights

Transparency sets us apart at CloseCohen. Our clients know that we value transparency in our coaching sessions and for the fifth year in a row, we bring this same transparency to sharing our year-end data and insights.

Percentage of clients who sought executive coaching services: 42%
Percentage of clients who sought to prepare for a senior level job search: 58%

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

Top 5 Most Frequent Industries Represented in Client Portfolio:
#1. Big Tech
#2. B2B SaaS
#3. Nonprofit / Civic
#4. Agency / Consulting
#5. CPG / Retail

Top 5 Most Frequent Areas of Client Subject Matter Expertise:
#1. Marketing
#2. Creative / UX
#3. Product Management
#4. Program Management
#5. Engineering

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%

In 2022, we coached 44 job seekers. As of December 2023*:

• Number of clients who moved to a new company: 27
• Number of clients who were promoted internally rather than moving to a new company: 7

*The time it takes to find a job varies based on economic conditions, industry, level, function, and geography. Therefore, it would be premature to evaluate the outcomes of our 2023 job seeking clients, particularly those we partnered with in Q3-Q4. Instead, we look to 2022 data to understand 2023 emerging patterns.

It is our privilege to partner with our clients each year—2023 being a unique year of insights, personal & professional growth meant we were all the more lucky to serve such inspiring clients.

Whether for senior-level candidate preparation, leadership coaching, or executive development, we are honored to be entrusted with your career growth.

We are pleased to add value to your development, we care about and track your outcomes, and we are thrilled to cheer you on and celebrate by your side.

Warmly,

Alisa Cohen & Laura Close

P.S. Ready to up-level your outcomes in 2024? Contact us to advance your career with senior-level candidate preparation or executive coaching.