COVID-19 Impact Study: Evolutions of In-House Executive Recruiting

Though the worst of COVID-19 is hopefully behind us, the executive search industry is still settling into its new normal.

According to Thrive’s data, the last week of March represented the lowest point, as canceled searches soared and new searches cratered. Though both metrics subsequently stabilized, the number of new searches and closed searches in April were still down 36% and 32%, respectively, from the trailing 12 month average.

In-house executive recruiting teams are likely finding themselves grappling with a change in pace. Some industries (e.g., gaming, communication tech) haven’t skipped a beat, as social distancing is yielding record returns. Others, like travel and hospitality, haven’t been so lucky and are struggling daily to stay afloat.

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