Every year brings its own set of hiring themes, but 2025 was particularly instructive for recruitment and search businesses. The market was uneven, confidence came and went, and growth was far from guaranteed. And yet boards were still hiring CEOs. In some cases, they were doing so with more clarity and intent than we have seen for a while.
Looking back over the searches we completed this year, a few clear patterns emerged. Here are the ones that stood out most.
1. Margin discipline moved from nice to have to non negotiable
For a long time, boards talked about margin discipline but in 2025 they really meant it.
Sector index data throughout 2025 in the UK showed agencies shifting focus towards the most margin‑resilient niches and away from volume at any price, which is exactly what boards were probing CEOs on in interviews.
The Bank of England’s November 2025 Agents’ summary also noted that profit margins across sectors had been “squeezed by cost inflation and subdued demand”, and that many firms were refocusing on their most profitable areas rather than chasing topline at any cost.
As a result of these factors, the most in demand CEOs were those who could clearly explain how they had improved profitability without simply cutting their way to short term results. Boards wanted leaders who understood the economics of recruitment deeply and could make hard calls while still investing in the future.
2. International experience became more specific
International expansion is not a new ambition, but the way boards approached it has definitely shifted.
In previous years, broad international exposure was often enough. In 2025, boards wanted relevance. Experience scaling a business from one country into three was valued more than having worked in ten markets without ownership of the strategy.
International growth has been coming less from opportunistic market entries and more from targeted pushes into specialist, high‑demand skill areas, typically led by CEOs who had already owned cross‑border P&Ls rather than just ‘worked internationally’.
We saw a strong preference for CEOs who understood regulatory nuance, cultural differences and the realities of running cross border P&Ls. The days of expansion by enthusiasm alone are over.
3. Digital and AI fluency stopped being optional
An IBM EMEA study released in October 2025 found that 66% of UK enterprises reported significant productivity gains from AI and automation, but stressed that returns depended on leadership, talent strategy and culture, not just the tech alone. Proof that 2025 was the year when boards stopped accepting curiosity as a proxy for competence.
While CEOs are rarely required to be technologists, an understanding of how digital tools and AI are changing delivery models, consultant productivity and client expectations is rapidly rising up the agenda of desirable skills. Those who could speak clearly about how they had used technology to drive better outcomes were the ones who stood out.
Recent studies show most organisations have rolled out AI tools, but only those with leaders who marry technology with a coherent talent and culture strategy are realising the bulk of productivity gains, which is exactly what boards pressed CEO candidates on last year.
4. Candidate expectations became sharper and more values led
Last year also saw the evolution of CEO candidates being more selective.
Culture, governance and alignment with the board mattered more than ever. Many candidates wanted to understand decision making dynamics, investor timelines and how success would really be measured beyond the headline brief.
Culture, flexibility and authentic employee value propositions continue to guide CEOs’ decision‑making, and they’re being more forensic in how they test those claims with boards and investors.
There was also a noticeable shift around flexibility and sustainability. Not in a fluffy way, but in terms of building businesses that leaders could realistically run well for the long term.
- What surprised me most was the return to fundamentals
For all the talk of transformation, what struck me most in 2025 was how often boards came back to basics.
They wanted CEOs who could lead teams, develop future leaders, win and retain clients and create a sense of momentum. The most successful appointments were not always the most high profile candidates, but the ones with clarity, humility and grip.
In a noisy market, those fundamentals felt reassuringly powerful.
Final thoughts
If 2025 taught us anything, it is that CEO hiring in recruitment has matured.
Boards are clearer. Candidates are clearer. And the gap between rhetoric and reality has narrowed.For those aspiring to lead recruitment businesses, the message is simple. Know your numbers. Be clear about your experience. Understand the tools shaping the industry. And above all, lead like it matters, because it does.