As the recruiting environment heats up there are increasingchallenges in attracting and landing a new executive orprofessional. Compensation is on the increase, current employersare becoming more aggressive in keeping their team on board puttingforward big counter offers, and with companies on the route torecovery, long-term incentive compensation is increasingly anobstacle to recruiting. But often the most significant issue tocontend with is the spouse.

Just a couple of decades ago, a spouse's issues and concernswere subsidiary to what was good for the other partner. Today notso. If a new opportunity involves relocating,considerations such as the other spouse's job, where the kidsgo to school and the loss of personal relationships andsupport networks become major considerations.

And spousal issues are not only front and center in arelocation. Often spouses want to meet the prospective employer andhave a real say-so, especially if the new opportunity involvesgreater risk or less stability.