Category: Management & Leadership

As tempting as it may be for company decision makers to throw an exorbitant compensation package toward executive candidates, these businesses may need to temper their expectations and first consider average executive compensation rates.

A study by an executive compensation consultant recently determined that executive compensation increased slightly in 2011, led by a 9 percent increase in long-term incentives. Meanwhile, base salaries only increased 3 percent and bonuses remained relatively unchanged.

The study could have significant ramifications for companies that are about to start searching for great CFOs and other senior executives, but are unsure of how to pay these business leaders for their services.

When determining how much to pay their executives, along with the type of compensation, business decision makers should consider the return on compensation (ROC) of their executives and always ensure that they are being paid a competitive compensation package.

“An organization’s compensation expense is an investment in talent, which requires a return, just like any other investment,” according to CFO.com. “Even though ROC is harder to measure than the return on traditional capital investments, prioritized investments in talent produce better returns than homogeneous or entitlement approaches.”

An executive whose compensation is tied closely to company performance, especially over an extended period of time, has a robust incentive to ensure that his or her long-term vision is formulated properly. Organizational stability, especially among those who hold senior executive positions, can be the difference between a company thriving by building on its prior successes and failing to emerge as an industry leader.

In order to fill executive jobs, particularly senior jobs in finance, businesses should find an organization that has financial professional search experience. These corporate recruiters can help businesses find senior executives and advise them as to proper compensation practices needed to attract and retain these business leaders.

The recent resignation of Miramax CEO Mike Lang is the latest in a string of sudden CEO departures that led to companies promoting their CFO to fill in on a temporary basis. This is a common practice among companies that do not have an executive succession plan in place.

Arguably, the most recent high-profile instance of a CFO stepping in as CEO occurred last September when Yahoo unceremoniously fired CEO Carol Bartz over the phone. Yahoo’s corporate board then promoted CFO Tim Morse to interim CEO and provided him with an “executive leadership council” to assist in the day-to-day operations of the company.

The long-term vision that CFOs must employ is a trait that ultimately helps those financial officers who are promoted to CEO, but they may lack the requisite knowledge of business operations to be successful for an extended period of time. With this in mind, it may not be surprising that studies have shown only 20 percent of current U.S. CEOs previously served as CFOs.

Still, on an interim basis, many CFOs have the skill sets to fill the corner office role and restore stability where it may have been lacking, but in general, directors of operation, vice presidents and COOs are best equipped to handle long-term CEO responsibilities. Even if former CFOs are passed by when professional recruiters conduct a formal CEO search, their future prospects are still bright.

Those seeking CFO jobs may need to be prepared to step in to serve a company as CEO if necessary. Meanwhile, companies searching for great CEOs may request the assistance of a corporate recruiter that is aware of the unique traits and experience needed to provide a business with rigorous and effective C-level leadership.