As the Hunter’s recruitment market pacifies, our exec expert Simon Rutten explains why a proactive, strategic approach is key to securing top leadership talent.
Voice of Verve insight by Simon Rutten | Verve Executive Director
Recruiting leaders always comes with challenges, from a limited talent pool to high stakes and complex buy-in. Our executive search specialist, Simon Rutten, shares what you need to do to attract the best in the Hunter market right now.
As we head into EOFY and the 2025/26 financial year, fresh budgets will bring new leadership hiring needs. But in the more passive market we’re seeing, it won’t be as easy as posting a job ad.
With fewer active candidates, attracting top talent takes a proactive, strategic approach. You need to reassess, reach out, build relationships, and present opportunities that make people want to jump ship—and climb aboard yours.
EOFY is the perfect time to review your structure and recalibrate. Take a look at your current layers and ask:
This will help you make smarter, more strategic leadership hiring decisions.
AI and Seek can’t help you in a passive market. It’s only when you have existing relationships that you have the ‘in’ and trust to position a role and encourage the candidate to move to active.
This doesn’t happen overnight. Relationship-building needs to be a long game, not just something you do when a role opens.
Think beyond your usual network. Identify future-fit leaders inside and outside your industry, follow their work, stay in touch, and offer value before there’s an ask.
Today’s leaders demand more and won’t settle.
They’re not just looking at the role or the salary (though you do need to benchmark and stay competitive). They’re doing due diligence on your whole business: vision, impact and culture alignment. And the more senior the candidate, the more this matters.
They’re also checking health (how well your team, business unit or organisation is functioning) and temperature (morale, sentiment, and energy levels). Your offer and brand need to be compelling.
Yes, we’re still working in a market of economic uncertainty and budget pressure, which can make proactive strategies feel risky.
But if you’re not being strategic, proactive and building relationships, you risk losing great talent. Start now, as senior hires can take several months to come to fruition.
Partner with us to gain an edge. We can support you through strategic leadership reviews, leverage our deep networks of hidden high performers, and make sure your brand and leadership offer hit the mark.
Ready to hire smarter this financial year? Let’s start a conversation today.
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