(July 2025) What’s Shaping Startup Hiring in 2025 — Layoff Surges, AI-Driven Capital, and a Leadership Market Moving Late but Fast. Here’s What We’re Seeing Across Executive Searches in H1.

The hiring landscape in 2025 is still moving — but the rules are changing. Fast.

Layoffs are back. AI is hoarding capital. And founders are under more pressure than ever to make the right leadership hires at the right time — before the market tightens again.

In Q2 2025, we saw a sharp rebound in executive search volume (up 20% MoM in June), a continued decline in junior hiring, and a clear acceleration in demand for AI-fluent, impact-ready leaders.

So we pulled together what we’re seeing — across live searches, founder calls, and investor conversations — into a short, high-signal deck:

(July 2025) Bearhug Recruiting: H1 Market Trends & Talent Insights

Here’s a quick preview of what’s inside:

• Why AI-native companies are capturing both capital and top execs — and how that’s redrawing the talent map

• The spike in leadership hiring among PE-backed startups — and what it signals for Q3

• The functional roles gaining momentum (hint: it’s not junior)

• How top execs are evaluating offers — and what founders must get right to win them

• A behind-the-scenes look at the Bearhug “Easy Button” model that’s helping startups hire faster, smarter, and with less risk

It’s sharp, strategic, and built for the founders making critical hires — and the investors guiding them.

👉 Click here to view our newly updated H1 2025 deck

And if it hits? Share it, forward it, or shoot me a note — I’d love to compare notes on what you’re seeing in the market too.