(November 2025) AI’s Grip on Venture Funding Tightens as CEO Hiring Jumps and Job Signals Diverge — Creating a Market Where disciplined Leadership Decisions Define the Winners
The executive hiring landscape in 2025 hasn’t slowed. It’s tightened.
The market is steady, but the signals are splitting. Tech layoffs continue to cool. CEO and board searches are rising. AI still absorbs more than half of all venture dollars. Startup formation is stable but matured. And the broader job market is sending mixed messages as shutdown delays freeze much of the official data.
For founders and investors, that creates a market that is cautious but competitive. Leadership decisions carry more weight. Timing matters more. And the window to land transformative executives is still open, but not guaranteed to stay that way.
In October and November, we saw the next phase of the cycle take shape. CEO and board demand spiked sharply. GTM hiring pulled back. AI funding stayed dominant. Company formation held steady. And the U.S. job market produced strong headline gains paired with rising unemployment, slower approvals, and growing friction underneath the surface.
So we pulled together what we’re seeing, across live searches, investor briefings, and founder conversations, into a tight, clear snapshot:
(November 2025) Bearhug Recruiting – Market Trends & Talent Insights
Here’s a quick preview of what’s inside:
Why tech layoffs are easing (114K YTD) and how the shrinking surplus of available talent is creating a narrow window for elite hires
Why CEO and board searches jumped (50 percent and 30 percent month over month) while GTM leadership demand fell.
How AI continues to dominate funding, capturing more than 64 percent of U.S. venture dollars and starving traditional SaaS of capital
Why non-AI software is struggling, with $100M-plus SaaS rounds falling from 147 in 2021 to only 21 in the last twelve months
What shutdown-delayed BLS data and private indicators tell us about a job market that is stable on the surface but losing momentum underneath
Why startup formation remains positive but mature, with stronger companies replacing weaker ones and demand shifting toward AI-fluent, executives
How selectivity is replacing speed in hiring, and what founders need to do to win decisive operators before the next tightening cycle arrives
You’ll also get a closer look at Bearhug’s Search Blueprint & Scorecard System, our structured method for helping startups build precise, disciplined hiring workflows that cut time-to-close and increase placement accuracy, even in unpredictable markets.
This month’s update is built for founders making critical executive hires and the investors guiding them.
👉 Click here to view our newly updated November 2025 deck
And if it hits, forward it, or shoot me a note. I’d love to compare notes on what you’re seeing in the market too.
