Recently, Bespoke Partners CEO Eric Walczykowski was featured in HR Spotlight, sharing key strategies for navigating executive hiring in today’s tight market.
Recently, Bespoke Partners CEO Eric Walczykowski was featured in HR Spotlight, sharing key strategies for navigating executive hiring in today’s tight market.
In the article, Eric explains how leadership talent follows the same supply-and-demand dynamics as any market. With US PE exits falling 25% in Q2 amid economic uncertainty and tariffs, firms now hold more than 12,000 unsold US portfolio companies. That backlog is restricting leadership movement, leaving experienced executives tied to elusive exits instead of entering new roles.
The ripple effects are far-reaching. In the US, PE-backed companies directly employ 13.3 million people and support an additional 31–33 million jobs through suppliers and consumer spending. At the same time, compensation for software and SaaS C-suite leaders is up about 25% for some roles in just a few years. This sharp increase is clear evidence of demand outpacing supply.
To counteract this scarcity, Eric outlines six strategies HR leaders can adopt: continuous succession planning, tapping VP “step-ups,” elevating HR to a strategic role, creative compensation design, streamlining decision-making, and partnering with external specialists.
Read the full HR Spotlight feature here: https://hrspotlight.com/when-