Mike McCarthy

We’re Seeing More Companies Delay Hiring — Even When Talent Is Available Across recent workforce discussions, we’re seeing more companies delay hiring — not because talent is unavailable, but because readiness is unclear. Questions surface late: • Are compliance requirements aligned? • Is mobilization sequencing defined? • Who owns execution risk? When these answers aren’t clear early, timelines slip — even with strong candidate availability. Hiring delays are rarely about talent. They’re about readiness. This pattern is becoming increasingly common across workforce projects right now. #WorkforceSolutions #RecruitmentAtScale #ComplianceLed #GCCBusiness #TalentFinderInternational

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Korn Ferry’s Q3 results were stronger than expected, with fee revenue rising 7.3% to $717.4m, above guidance. Executive Search was the standout, up 13.4%, with growth across all geographies and increases in both engagements billed and weighted average fee per engagement. Other segments also grew: 🔹Consulting up 5.2% 🔹Digital up 3.5% 🔹Professional Search & Interim up 5.4% 🔹RPO up 3.3% Executive Search by geography: 🔹North America up 13.5% 🔹EMEA up 15.6% reported, 7% constant currency 🔹APAC up 11.1% 🔹Latin America up 3.2% reported, down 7% constant currency At group level, total revenue rose 7.2% to $725.0m and net income increased 11.5% to $66.1m. Korn Ferry also guided Q4 revenue to $730m to $750m, implying further year-on-year growth. Taken together, it was a solid quarter, with growth in most segments and particularly strong momentum in Executive Search. #ExecutiveSearch #Recruitment #KornFerry #RPO #Interim #Consulting

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Hiring got up to a strong start in January — especially in manufacturing. I join the conversation in this recent SHRM article: https://bit.ly/3ZF1c01.

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The C-Suite Paradox: Tech Reach vs. Human Touch Is your executive search leaning too hard on one pillar? In modern Executive RPO, success isn't "human vs. machine." It's about combining them for an unfair advantage in the talent market. #Technology is the Accelerator. It provides the speed, #dataanalytics, and global market mapping to find the ideal candidates that traditional networking misses. It’s about precision and scale. Human Intelligence is the Closer. Only experienced recruiters can assess cultural alignment, manage delicate peer-to-peer negotiations and provide the white-glove engagement that high-level hires demand. It’s about trust and nuance. The Takeaway: Tech finds them. Humans hire them. You need both. How is your executive search #strategy evolving? #ExecutiveSearch #Leadership #RPO #TalentAcquisition #Careers #Growth #recruiting #recruitment #jobs #employerbranding #digital #manufacturing #BFSI #fintech #management #humanresources #ArtificialIntelligence

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TA/Recruiter job openings in the U.S. continue to climb (surprisingly!) For the first time in nearly three years, postings are holding steady above the 45,000 mark. The sharpest demand we’re seeing is from clients in Data Centers, AI, Aerospace Engineering, and VC-backed and pre-IPO tech. What’s especially interesting: this strength in TA roles is happening at the same time overall U.S. job openings are trending down (per the latest JOLTs report). August’s jobs report showed just 22K new jobs created nationwide, yet demand for recruiters is starting to surge. Why? My hunch: - Lowering interest rates are fueling capital expenditures in tech - IPO activity is picking up - VC funding is flowing again - Companies are positioning for broad hiring in tech Recruiting is often the “canary in the coal mine” for hiring cycles. If this momentum holds, it could signal a broader acceleration in tech hiring heading into 2026. 👉 Do you think this trend continues?

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🎯 Series: Nailing the First Interview with PE Firms & Headhunters ✅ Post 3: Your Career Story Needs Metrics. Period. The second thing PE firms and headhunters want in an initial interview? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲? 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵? Skip the vague language like “we grew quickly” or “things really took off.” Instead, say: “We went from $𝟴𝗠 to $𝟮𝟰𝗠 𝗔𝗥𝗥 in 18 months.” “𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗖𝗩 from $10K to $20K.” “𝗖𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗻 from 14% to 7% in a year.” These numbers prove three things: 1. You understand your business model. 2. You contributed meaningfully to outcomes. 3. You know how to communicate results—clearly and credibly. If you don’t lead with metrics, you’ll sound generic—even if you’re not. ➡️ Next up: Ownership structures, and why PE firms care where you’ve worked.

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Heading to Austin for the Staffing Industry Analysts Executive Forum next week. I'll be on a panel on March 25th - "Platform Playbook: How AI is Changing the Game" - where we'll be exploring how traditional staffing firms can leverage AI and platform technologies to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and deliver faster, more efficient results in a rapidly evolving market. It's a topic close to home at WorkGenius Group as we're building exactly this: an AI-powered platform that helps enterprises source, manage, and pay their contingent workforce globally, all in one place. I am looking forward to sharing some of what we've learned and hearing how others are navigating the shift. If you're attending, I'd love to connect with peers while I'm there. Feel free to reach out or find me at the event!

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The gap is growing. Mid-market CRAs are telling us it’s getting harder to compete — on pricing, turnaround, and service — as the largest players consolidate more volume and drive vendor rates. But here's what our 2025 Screening Industry Study also found: 🧠 Agility, niche focus, and compliance credibility are key differentiators ⚙️ CRAs making targeted tech investments are outperforming their peers 📊 Data suppliers are shifting strategies — and it’s reshaping CRA margins You can still win — but not by playing last year’s game. Want to see how smart CRAs are adapting? Let’s talk. Our industry study, while geared towards investors in the space can also be purchased by CRA's, see what they are seeing! #CRAs #backgroundchecks #employment #strategy #compliance #screeningindustry #FCRA #IQubedAdvisors #marketstrategy https://lnkd.in/ejdap_bZ

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