MARKET PULSE · SEPTEMBER 2026
Who holds the leverage right now.
A monthly read on the leadership hiring market, drawn from our active searches. What it means if you're hiring, and what it means if you're looking.
THE READ
Broadly employer-driven, with notable exceptions.
- Applicant volume
- High
- Time-to-offer
- Extended
- Counter-offer activity
- Low
- Senior and niche compensation
- Stabilized
A qualitative read from TAP's active leadership and executive searches, not a statistically validated index. Last reviewed September 2026.
The read in 60 seconds
Leverage has swung to employers in most functions.
More applicants per role, longer time-to-offer and fewer counter-offers for management, director and executive roles.
The exceptions still favor candidates.
Niche technical leadership, regulated specialists, AI research, infrastructure and product talent, and confidential C-suite searches.
Employed candidates are moving cautiously.
With layoffs in the headlines, many people with jobs are weighing stability before upside, so it takes more to start the conversation.
Where the leverage sits
Directional, based on our active searches.
The hidden twist: cautious movers
Layoff headlines make it look like talent is everywhere. What we're seeing is that many people who are currently employed are more cautious about changing jobs than they were a year or two ago.
They've watched peers join a new company and get caught in the next restructuring, so they weigh stability first and upside second.
For employers, a bigger applicant pool doesn't automatically mean easier access to every strong candidate. Strong people are both applying and not applying right now. Reaching both takes a clear reason to talk, a credible company story and a clean process.
The right hire might be applying today, or employed and cautious. A good search reaches both.
What this means for you
IF YOU'RE HIRING
Don't over-screen.
A bigger pool tempts teams to add interview rounds. Strong candidates still leave for faster, cleaner processes.
Calibrate compensation.
You may not need to chase last year's peaks, but underpaying for niche leadership still loses the hire.
Reach the people who aren't applying, too.
Strong candidates are both actively looking and not looking right now. Covering both gives you the full picture before you decide.
IF YOU'RE JOB HUNTING
Stand out in a crowded pool.
More applicants per role means a resume built for the specific role beats a general one.
Plan for longer processes.
Time-to-offer is extended, so keep several conversations moving at once rather than waiting on one.
Know if you're the exception.
If you're in niche technical leadership, a regulated specialty or AI, you still hold leverage. Act like it.
Hiring for a leadership role? A 20-minute conversation will pressure-test the role before you post it.
Want this applied to your own search?
HOW WE SEARCH IN ANY MARKET
- Calibrated shortlists, not stacks of resumes
- Direct outreach to people who aren't applying
- A candidate experience that protects your brand
- A clean close, from counter-offers to start date
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