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2025 Hiring Trends

January 30, 2025

What will executive hiring look like in 2025? While every company has its own unique needs and approach to leadership hiring, there are factors that can help us predict trends throughout the executive search industry. 

We asked our team of executive recruiters to share what they expect to see in 2025. 

Specialized skills are in high demand

"We’re seeing companies focused on specific skills, rather than years of experience, said Christine Berg. This approach is not only more practical for building functional teams, but it also creates space for younger or non-traditional talent to come in at higher levels, and opens leadership teams up to new, innovative perspectives. 

Which skillsets are in high demand? Martha Kaser said that in the current climate, “candidates with M&A experience are particularly sought after.” In finance roles, Sarah Auten told us “companies are committed to sustainable growth vs. a growth-at-all-costs approach, so they’re really digging into executives’ ability to handle responsible growth.” Have they weathered storms before? What will be their long-term impact on the organization? 

We encourage our clients to hire strategically, looking for leaders with skills that will set them up for long-term success. 

Hybrid is here to stay

Hybrid work is here to stay. With more and more companies adopting this approach, Sarah told us it is “the future state” of work. 

One thing we often see in searches is that candidates are more receptive to hybrid or fully remote opportunities. With the potential to work remotely from nearly anywhere, top talent often expects some level of flexibility. While we do see exceptions, especially in specialized fields like energy and manufacturing, more often than not, an openness to flexible work arrangements can help companies entice the caliber of candidates they're looking to hire.

The market is slowly coming back

The US market is slowly coming back from the decline we saw in 2022. Sarah told us investors are continuing to put a lot of money into early stage companies that can show a path to profitability. Similarly, companies hiring in the current market tend to be generating significant revenue. “We’re seeing more deals in the AI and enterprise SaaS spaces than anywhere else,” Jon Peters said. As the market hopefully continues to come back, we expect to see companies making strategic hires that will propel them forward. 

Companies are leaning toward DIY search

As we see a slow rebound in the market, Jon mentioned that some companies are “taking a crack at it themselves before hiring a search firm.” In an effort to avoid risk, leaders may opt to do their own search work, finding talent through their networks. While this approach can sometimes work, it’s not an ideal option. Running an executive search is time consuming—it requires meticulous planning and dedication to research and execution. Executive search partners specialize in finding, evaluating, and attracting top-tier talent. They have a deep understanding of the market conditions, and can tailor their outreach to effectively attract candidates who may not even be actively looking for new opportunities. For a busy CEO, attempting to replicate this level of expertise and breadth of relationships can be a misdirection of time and resources. 

When you work with Bolster, our extraordinary team will work alongside you to make your search a success. We take the time to listen, understand, and respond to your needs, support you throughout your search, and offer our expertise as a resource. 

Want to know more about what it’s like to work with us? Let us know what you’re looking for.