Executive Recruitment in 2025: A Year in Review — And What We Anticipate for 2026

If I had to summarize executive recruitment in 2025 in one sentence, it would be this:

We weren’t short on talent. We were short on clarity.

There are a lot of exceptional leaders on the market right now — thoughtful, steady, skilled people who were caught in layoffs, paused initiatives, and restructurings that began in 2023 and never fully settled. I spoke with some of the strongest candidates of my career this year, and many of them were in transition through no fault of their own.

And yet… companies still struggled to hire.

Not because people weren’t qualified.

Not because the talent “wasn’t out there.”

But because inside organizations, the ground kept shifting:

• Budgets opened, closed, and reopened

• AI strategy pushed teams to reorganize faster than expected

• Priorities moved

• Roles changed mid-search

• Leaders debated what they needed today versus what they’d need a year from now

It isn’t a capacity problem.

It is a clarity problem.

Companies weren’t asking, “Can we find the right person?”

They were asking, “What exactly does this role need to be now? Are we sure we need it?”

And when the target keeps moving, even the best candidates can’t hit it.

Why Clarity Matters More Than Ever

After nearly 30 years in this industry, I know this:

Uncertainty is where leadership either cracks - or becomes unshakable. 

In years like 2025, organizations don’t just need people who can “do the job”.

They need leaders who can:

• Make decisions in foggy conditions

• Bring calm to chaos

• Visualize what’s next

• Build direction where there isn’t any yet

• Communicate clearly

• Align teams

• …and help companies understand what the next right step truly is

Clarity isn’t just a process or a vision.

Clarity is a leadership skill.  

And the companies that hired well this year - the ones who invested in steady, strategic executives - are the ones that are regaining their footing fastest.  

Why I’m Hopeful About 2026

Here’s the good news: 

Clarity is coming.

As AI strategies mature, budgets stabilize, and organizations settle into their new structures, the guesswork will ease. Companies will make decisions with more confidence. Priorities will feel less fluid. Roles will be defined with more intention. And leaders will feel a renewed sense of direction.

2025 was a year of sorting.

2026 will be a year of shaping.

My advice to companies preparing for the year ahead:

Hire leaders who bring clarity.

Not just skill. Not just experience.

Clarity.

Because clarity drives alignment.Alignment drives momentum.And momentum drives growth.

If 2025 was marked by uncertainty, 2026 will reward the organizations that choose strong, thoughtful executives who know how to navigate uncertainty and turn it into focus.

And at Blackmere, that’s exactly the kind of leadership we specialize in finding.

Let’s get to work.