(June 2025) What’s Really Shaping Startup Hiring in 2025 — AI Pressure, Founder Missteps, and a Talent Pool That’s More Selective Than Ever. Here’s What We’re Seeing Across Active Executive Searches.

VC dollars are flowing again, and executive searches are back in motion — but the hiring landscape in 2025 looks nothing like it did just a year ago.

In Q1 2025, we saw a wave of late-breaking searches, AI-driven hiring distortion, and a growing disconnect between what founders need… and what top-tier execs are actually willing to say yes to.

So we pulled together what we’re seeing — across live searches, founder calls, and conversations with investors — into a short deck:

(June 2025) Bearhug Recruiting: Market Trends & Insights

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

• Why AI-native companies are dominating talent flow — and how that’s creating pressure for everyone else

• The 3 biggest hiring challenges startup CEOs keep running into (even the experienced ones)

• The skill gaps slowing down growth at Seed, Series A, and Series B

• A peek into the playbook we use to fill mission-critical roles in as little as 21 days

It’s short, strategic, and built for the CEOs making the hires — and the investors backing the startups.

👉 Click here to view our recently updated deck for June!

And if it hits? Share it, forward it, or shoot me a note. Let’s compare notes on what you’re seeing too.