Are you Attracting The Best and Brightest?

PwC have launched their 28th Annual Global CEO Survey which captures the thoughts of over 5,000 Global leaders. The survey shows:

• Nearly 60% of CEOs anticipate improved global growth in the next 12 months, a significant leap from just 18% two years ago.
• 42% of CEOs plan to increase headcount this year, with many attributing these increases to the adoption of generative AI (GenAI).
• Alarmingly, another 42% of CEOs believe their organisations won’t survive the next decade without significant transformation.

Now, lets look at the state of leadership and employees, the Edleman Trust Barometer 2025 paints a sobering picture of global trust levels, however businesses are now the most trusted institutions globally, but it comes with a caveat...

• Employee Expectations are up - Workers are demanding more from employers, including transparency, fairness, and meaningful action on societal issues.
• The Trust-Performance Link - High trust in leadership reduces grievances and drives higher employee engagement and performance. Trust isn’t just good ethics; it’s good business.

Additionally in the Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends 2023 survey, 80% of executives believe their organisations are not future-ready and this report emphasised the need for companies to focus on leadership development, agility, and innovation to stay competitive in the future

These findings highlight a clear message: leadership today goes beyond profit. Success lies in:

• Creating meaningful jobs: Employees want roles that offer purpose and fair pay.
• Addressing inequities: Despite the recent headlines and rising anti DEI sentiment in some quarters, actively tackling disparities to build inclusive workplaces is still key to attracting and retaining the best and brightest.
• Preparing for the future: Reskilling employees in response to technological advances, especially the rise of AI.
• Building workplace culture: Fostering environments where employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

While profit rightfully remains a primary driver, it’s clear that businesses with thriving, engaged workforces see better outcomes. Yet, 61% of employees report they aren’t thriving. The equation is simple: a thriving workforce equals better business performance.

But what about you and your leadership team, are they thriving? When you need a step change, or are considering hiring a critical strategic hire to ensure your business is not only future fit but can deliver and sustain long term innovations and transformation are you attracting the top performing talent, or like many are you inadvertently chasing them away?

In this short guide 'Top 10 Reasons CEOs Are Chasing Away Top Performing Talent' (and what to do about it),?this is our way of helping CEOs and senior leaders avoid the most common, and costly mistakes we’ve seen over decades of partnering with scaling, transforming and global organisations to secure top talent.?

Packed with practical advice, proven strategies, and insights from working with scaling businesses and global enterprises alike, it’s designed to empower you to make better, more impactful hiring decisions.?

Let us help you take the guesswork out of leadership recruitment and build the team your business deserves.?? Get your complimentary copy today.

With almost two decades of experience, Douglas Jackson have partnered with global FTSE 250 companies, high-growth scale-ups, and award-winning organizations across Utilities, Housing Associations, Insurance, Financial Services, SaaS, Retail, Travel, BPO and Professional Services to help improve the diversity, success and retention of their new leadership hires providing recruitment consultancy and Executive Search services. Helping you deliver a much improved performance and ROI. If you are considering a key strategic hire and would like to talk more about your unique challenges and to see if I might be a future resource for you.

Book a call today.