"My team was working on a CEO role. Four months into the search, as we were narrowing down our top 3 candidates, my client let us know their board of directors cut the position's budget by one third. Essentially, we had to start our search over. Rather than becoming discouraged, I called our candidates to let them know the reduction in salary. Most of the candidates removed themselves from the competition, but they also offered referrals from people in their network who had the qualifications, but fewer years of experience. In the end, we were able to fill the position at the salary the client wanted, through an excellent referral. It was a great learning experience, and I am happy we did not throw in the towel."
