Why Achieving Your Next Big Business Opportunity Depends on Hiring the Right Leaders
Your organization has reached a pivotal moment in its history… but what got you here may not be the same things that get you where you need to go next.
Whether you’re experiencing explosive growth or looking for a path forward, plans for strategic change are driving the agenda across boardrooms. From budgeting to talent reviews and gaps in critical leadership positions, organizations are continuously evaluating their readiness to drive their next business transformation.
The question then turns to: How? How do organizations effectively transform amidst intense market pressures and seemingly constant shifts in focus? Heightened investor scrutiny and emerging competitors? The big and unknowable advent of AI? You can develop the most robust strategies, but without the right people to execute them, transformation remains a nebulous buzzword or lofty idea...
The “How” Is In the “Who”
Effective transformation starts with talent. To understand how companies, leaders, and investors are thinking about business transformation and if they have the right leadership talent in place to lead the change, Hunt Club conducted a market survey polling over 500 professionals, ranging from Directors to C-level executives across early-stage startups to mature enterprises.
In this report...
- Understand if companies have the right leadership in place to execute effective transformation.
- Learn about the common barriers organizations face from strategy to placement when hiring talent.
- Find out how companies prioritize leadership qualities in their recruiting strategy.
- Ask critical questions to assess your search strategy for your next leader.
Gearing Up For 2025 and Beyond: Businesses Are Planning To Execute a Number of Significant Transformations
According to our recent market survey, businesses are in fact gearing up for a number of major shifts in strategy and growth goals.
There are many strategic pivots and business transformations organizations intend on implementing over the next 12 to 18 months. From rebranding efforts to entering new markets, launching IPOs, or reaching profitability, every business decision at this time is laddering up to successful execution.
At the same time, companies are realizing that to stay ahead, they must rethink their approach to growth, aligning every initiative (and hire) with a clear vision of where the market is headed.
The companies that will thrive are those that recognize the power of their people. It's no longer enough to have a solid business strategy or cutting-edge technology. Survival and success don't just depend on revenue strategies or technological innovation. The true driving force is a dynamic workforce and culture — one that not only attracts top talent but also fosters retention in an increasingly competitive market. Without the right talent, even the strongest plans can fall short.
Companies Want To Transform, But They Don’t Have the Right Executive Talent To Do So
Even amidst the aftermath of such intense market shifts over the past few years, it's clear that companies are bouncing back with a strong vision and strategy for their next phase of growth. Whether it’s implementing a new revenue model or planning to fundraise, businesses are looking for ways to take their destinies back into their own hands.
However, according to our survey, more than half are missing a key piece of the puzzle to pull this off.
3 Major Barriers Stand In the Way of Hiring the Right Transformational Talent Companies Need
1. It is harder than ever to find the "bullseye" candidate
Finding the right executive leader to drive change has become increasingly difficult. The challenge stems not only from limited talent pools but also from the complexities of identifying a candidate's intangible qualities, such as their cultural fit, adaptability, and ability to inspire teams. Traditional hiring processes, which are often slow and cumbersome, further compound the issue, leaving many companies struggling to make swift and informed decisions.
As a result, more than half of organizations admit they feel unprepared to hit the mark when it comes to appointing a “bullseye” executive who can spearhead transformation and navigate the business through evolving market demands.
2. Confidence levels in running an effective hiring process to win top executive talent are at an all-time low.
Percentage of organizations that express confidence in these important stages of the hiring process:
This lack of confidence highlights the growing anxiety and uncertainty organizations face as they struggle to secure the human capital essential for advancing their strategic objectives. As the competition for top talent intensifies, these recruitment challenges risk becoming significant roadblocks, potentially derailing or stunting the progress of planned transformations.
3. Companies lack the expertise in org design that guides them on the roles they need to fill and who to hire.
According to our survey report, 1 out of 3 companies lack the confidence they need to outline roles/responsibilities, define departments/divisions, and establish an organizational hierarchy that aligns with overall business strategies and goals.
Without this ability, or even the baseline confidence to try, companies are finding it challenging to implement strategic initiatives, respond to market changes, or seize new opportunities. Over time, these gaps in org design and hiring strategies can lead to higher turnover, misaligned resources, and unmet strategic objectives.
Is Your Organization Set Up To Find and Hire a Transformational Leader?
Hunt Club data has revealed that now, 77% of hiring managers avoid traditional recruitment firms because they underperform and use outdated methods. At the same time, less than 10% of organizations are confident in their own ability to hire the right leader. From Sourcing/Finding candidates (9% are confident), Interviewing and Evaluating (5%), and Negotiating and Closing (8%), businesses are struggling at every stage of the hiring process and ending up farther and farther away from their transformation goals.
This is the risk you take — the opportunity cost — of a traditional approach to recruitment and a poor search strategy. It’s no longer just about that rolodex or who you know. It’s what you know about them and how you get access to them.
Reevaluate and assess your organization's search strategy for its next leader who can drive effective transformation
To get the right talent through the door, you have to throw conventional ways of thinking and traditional hiring methods out the window. It’s okay to reevaluate how your organization will approach hiring. You need a certain lens to help you find the elusive target.
To learn more and find 5 helpful questions to assess if your hiring strategies are built to find a transformational hire, download the full report.
