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Every three years, the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC) conducts the most comprehensive study of executive talent acquisition in the world. The 2025 Global Benchmark Survey is now live, and the early patterns we’re seeing suggest this may be the most revealing study yet.
Why? Because the executive search landscape has fundamentally shifted since our last survey in 2022.
What We Learned in 2022 That Changed Everything
Our previous benchmark study revealed insights that sent shockwaves through the industry. Here are just three findings that are still reshaping how search firms operate today:
- The Professionalism Advantage: When asked when they choose executive search over in-house recruiting, 64% of clients cited “professionalism” as the top factor—not speed, not cost, but the caliber of service they received.
- The Assessment Revolution: A staggering 25% of respondents identified “assessment methodology” as a critical factor when selecting a search firm. This represented a seismic shift toward evidence-based hiring that has only accelerated.
- The Interim Management Explosion: Perhaps most surprising, client openness to using search firms for interim management services jumped 35 percentage points in just three years—from 50% to 85%. This wasn’t gradual change; this was transformation.
These findings didn’t just inform industry reports—they drove real business decisions. AESC member firms restructured their service offerings, invested heavily in assessment capabilities, and saw leadership consulting revenues grow as a direct result of understanding what clients actually wanted.
The 2025 Landscape: Three Forces Reshaping Executive Search
As we launch our 2025 survey, three major forces are converging to create what may be the most significant shift in executive search since the profession began:
- The AI Integration Imperative: For the first time, our survey includes extensive questions about artificial intelligence expectations and boundaries. Early conversations with clients reveal a fascinating tension: they want AI’s efficiency but are deeply concerned about bias, transparency, and the human element in leadership decisions. The questions we’re asking now will determine how AI shapes executive search for the next decade.
- The Culture-Performance Connection: Previous research showed a disconnect between what clients thought attracted talent (compensation, competition) and what candidates actually prioritized (purpose, culture, growth). Organizations that bridged this gap became talent magnets. Those that didn’t struggled with retention and attraction. In 2025, we’re digging deeper into this misalignment and its business impact.
- The Leadership Advisory Expansion: The data from 2022 showed unprecedented client openness to working with search firms on broader leadership challenges—succession planning, board effectiveness, culture transformation. What started as tentative interest has become urgent need.
Why Your Voice Matters More Than Ever
This isn’t academic research. This is intelligence that shapes a $21+ billion industry serving the world’s most important organizations.
The 12-Minute Investment That Creates Lasting Impact
This comprehensive research only happens every three years. The survey is completely confidential, and previous studies have directly influenced how search firms approach culture, succession planning, leadership development, and business transformation. The 2022 study alone revealed critical insights about client preferences for professionalism, the growing importance of assessment methodologies, and a 35-point increase in openness to interim management services—changes that are already reshaping how AESC member firms serve their clients.
The Research That’s Reshaping Our Profession
The last survey transformed how search firms think about client services, measures of success, and business expansion. The 2025 study will determine how we navigate the next phase of industry evolution.
Your perspective as a senior leader who works with executive search firms is invaluable. You understand the challenges of finding exceptional leadership talent, the importance of cultural fit, and the complexities of modern organizational needs.
This research only happens every three years, and the insights generated will influence executive search practices through 2028 and beyond.
The AESC Global Benchmark Survey represents the voice of over 1,000 senior executives worldwide and serves as the definitive study of executive search and leadership consulting trends. The survey is completely anonymous, and individual responses are never shared.
