Boards are getting pickier about who sits in the big chairs, and executive recruiters are caught in the middle of some wildly contradictory demands. Welcome to C-suite recruiting in 2025, where everyone wants a unicorn but nobody wants to pay unicorn prices.

The New Executive Wishlist Is Ridiculous

According to Spencer Stuart's 2025 Executive Leadership Study, the top requirements for C-level hires in 2026 are: AI fluency (mentioned in 74% of searches), proven crisis management experience (68%), and "authentic" leadership style (89%). That last one is corporate-speak for "we want someone who seems relatable but also won't make waves with the board."

Harvard Business Review reports that executive search timelines have stretched from an average of 4.2 months to 6.7 months because boards can't agree on what they actually want. One search firm partner told Fortune they had a board reject a CFO candidate because "he didn't seem excited enough about sustainability." The role was Chief FINANCIAL Officer.

Age Bias Is Alive and Well

Here's the uncomfortable truth: boards say they want "fresh perspectives" but what they really mean is they want someone under 50 who looks good in the annual report photos. Bloomberg Law found that age discrimination claims in executive hiring increased 34% in 2025, the highest jump in 15 years.

Meanwhile, the same boards demanding younger executives are also requiring 15+ years of C-suite experience. Math is hard, apparently.

The AI Competency Panic

Every board suddenly wants a CEO who "gets AI" despite half of them not being able to explain what a large language model actually does. McKinsey's Executive Survey found that 82% of boards consider AI expertise "critical" for new C-suite hires, but only 31% of current executives have any formal AI training.

This has created a weird market where executives are cramming AI certifications and name-dropping ChatGPT in interviews like it's 2023 again. One executive recruiter told The Wall Street Journal that candidates are adding "AI transformation leader" to their LinkedIn headlines after taking a single Coursera class.

What Executive Recruiters Need to Know

If you're placing C-level talent, prepare for longer searches, more interviews, and candidates who ghost you for counter-offers. The market is flush with executives who got laid off during 2024's restructuring wave, but boards are convinced they need to find someone "better."

The good news? Retainer fees for executive search are up 23% year-over-year according to Hunt Scanlon Media. The bad news? You're going to earn every penny of it dealing with boards who think they're hiring the next Steve Jobs but have a budget for middle-management Steve.