Organisations competing for top talent face a landscape radically different from that of just a few years ago. The evolution of the labour market, the impact of artificial intelligence and the need for new leadership models have created a context in which attracting, assessing and retaining strategic profiles is no longer just a challenge, but a critical factor for business survival.
Below, we analyse the key trends every executive must consider to stay ahead and make decisions that ensure competitive advantage.
1. The new ‘talent war’: fewer candidates, more specialisation
The labour market continues to show a persistent mismatch between supply and demand. Companies are seeking increasingly hybrid profiles —leaders with strategic vision, advanced digital skills and adaptability— while the availability of such talent remains limited.
Winning organisations are:
Implementing proactive recruitment strategies and specialised headhunting.
Investing in purpose-driven employer branding, flexibility and real career development.
Redesigning faster, more analytical and competency-based selection processes.
The trend is clear: in 2025, companies don’t just select talent —they compete for it.
2. Regenerative leadership: the new key competency for executives
High-performing companies are betting on leaders capable of regenerating teams, processes and cultures. This approach goes beyond traditional transformational leadership and focuses on creating environments where people can innovate, take risks and scale capabilities.
Executives now need to:
Master change-management skills at accelerated cycles.
Integrate AI and analytics into decision-making.
Manage multigenerational teams with divergent expectations.
Build high-commitment cultures based on autonomy and accountability.
In a volatile market, leadership is no longer measured by directing, but by enabling.
3. Artificial Intelligence in HR: efficiency yes, but with strategic criteria
AI has become a key ally in recruitment processes, enabling more accurate screening, asynchronous interviews and more objective competency evaluations. However, executives are realising that the advantage lies not in automating, but in automating well.
Leading companies combine:
AI for data analysis and intelligent filtering.
Expert consultants to interpret nuances, culture and soft skills.
Technology accelerates the process, but the final decision remains human, strategic and grounded in deep business understanding.
4. Retention 2025: from salary to a value ecosystem
Compensation remains important, but not decisive. High-level professionals prioritise:
Projects with real impact.
Clear career paths and internal mobility.
Total flexibility (not just remote work).
Empathetic and meritocratic leadership.
Retention is shifting from reactive policies to value ecosystems that accompany talent throughout the employee experience.
2025 will be remembered as the year talent redefined strategy
For executives, it’s not just about filling vacancies, but anticipating what talent the organisation will need in the next 12 to 36 months. Companies that act today with vision, speed and cultural alignment will dominate tomorrow.
The key question for any executive in November 2025 is not “how can I hire more?”, but:
“how can I attract, lead and retain better than my competitors?”
