Intro
International head-hunting for executive and highly-skilled tech roles feels less like chess and more like 4-D chess nowadays. With hungry AI, sky-high salaries and hybrid cultures, the board moves at light speed.
🔥 Hottest Insights (Last 30 Days)
- AI everywhere: McKinsey reports demand for agentic AI leaders up 38 % month-on-month.
- Firm rankings: Talentfoot refreshes who’s ruling AI exec search in 2025.
- “AI-salary fever”: Business Insider spots packages hitting $400 k + 5 % equity for Series A Heads of AI.
- HR-Tech platforms: Info-Tech crowns analytics suites as a boutique recruiter’s secret weapon.
⚡ Nightmares We Face
- Unicorn scarcity: PhD engineers from OpenAI priced like platinum.
- Salary inflation vs. ROI: Getting the cash/equity blend right is an art.
- Remote culture shock: Onboarding a Tokyo CTO into a Madrid team needs surgical cultural design.
💡 Eye-Catching Opportunities
- Borderless talent map: Skills move by time-zone, not country.
- Next-gen HR analytics: Real-time comp benchmarks = negotiation with eyes wide open.
- Purposeful employer brand: Ethical-AI projects lure senior profiles seeking impact.
🔑 Success Keys for a Boutique Headhunter
- Proactive research: Constant market-mapping, not “only when the phone rings.”
- Offer storytelling: Sell the future, not just salary (yes, a touch of humour helps).
- Human-AI double filter: Algorithms for speed; expert judgment for cultural fit.
Wrap-up
In this global talent war, those combining data, empathy, and speed win the game. Ready to make your move? 😉
Sources
- McKinsey – “Technology Trends Outlook 2025”, 21/07/2025
- Talentfoot – “Top AI Executive Search Firms 2025”, 23/07/2025
- Business Insider – “AI Talent Wars Hit Startups”, 22/07/2025
- Info-Tech Research Group – “Talent Management Data Quadrant 2025”, 24/07/2025
