CLOSE COHEN CAREERS | 2026 DATA PROJECT
The Executive
Transition Report
What Actually Works (And What Doesn’t) in Today’s Job Market
104
Senior Leaders Surveyed
2026
Original Research
67%
Accepted a New Role
Who We Surveyed
Senior Leaders. Real Searches. Real Outcomes.
A structured 2026 survey of senior leaders reveals what drives executive search outcomes.
Total Respondents
Senior leaders surveyed in 2026
104
Non-Client Sample
Independent of Close Cohen’s client base
56%
Tech / SaaS / AI
Among those who specified industry
67%
Seniority Breakdown
Director
35%
Manager / Sr. Manager
30%
Senior IC
13%
VP / SVP
8%
C-Suite
8%
Founder
8%
Key Findings
The Numbers Behind the Search
Primary Outcome
Time from Search to Offer
0–3 months
26%
4-6 months
40%
7-12 months
19%
13-18 months
9%
19-24+ months
5%
Key Insight: 40% of successful searches close in the 4–6 month window.
The Channel Data
How Senior Leaders Actually Find Their Next Role
The data is unambiguous: relationships drive executive moves, not job boards or cold applications.
Existing Network Referral
36%
Former Colleague / Manager
32%
28%
Senior Leader Advocacy
26%
— Transactional Channels —
Warm Application
17%
Retained Search Firm
13%
Cold Application
9%
Job Board
7%
The top 4 channels are all relationship-based and account for the majority of executive outcomes. Respondents selected up to 3 channels.
What Actually Works
The Highest-Impact Activities
Respondents selected their top 2 highest-impact activities. The data is unambiguous.
49%
Network Activation
Activating existing relationships
47%
Interview Preparation
Structured prep before every stage
Supporting Activities
Tailoring materials per role
32%
Targeting well-researched roles only
25%
Recruiter outreach / follow-ups
22%
Outreach to hiring managers
12%
Applying to high volume of positions
9%
Volume-based application strategies ranked last, this myth is debunked. The two highest-impact activities are relational and preparatory — not transactional.
Myths Debunked
What the Data Disproves
MYTH
Apply to as many roles as possible
9% cited volume
REALITY
Only 9% cited volume as a top factor. Network activation (49%) and interview prep (47%) dominate. Spray-and-pray is a junior strategy.
MYTH
The executive market is stagnant
67% accepted a new role
REALITY
67% of respondents accepted a new role. Demand is shifting toward specific high-impact profiles — the market is selective, not closed.
MYTH
AI doesn’t affect senior-level searches
37% hit an AI barrier
REALITY
37% encountered AI screening or AI-assisted interviews. AI is already operating as a filter at the executive tier.
104 senior leaders. One year of data.
Download the full report here.
Scope & Compensation
What Respondents Were Actually Offered
Data based on Q3 responses (n=96 for scope / n=77 for compensation). The findings challenge the assumption that a lateral move means a lateral outcome — scope expansion was common, but compensation gains were not universal.
Role Scope vs. Previous Position
n=96 respondents
Compensation Change
36%
Compensation increased
40%
Compensation stayed flat
24%
Compensation decreased
For many executives, scope and title expansion precede compensation recovery — especially in transitions to high-growth environments.
High Performers
What Separates the Executives Who Win
MOST SOUGHT-AFTER
Transformation Experience
49% of top performers cited network activation — not credentials — as their #1 edge.
They integrate AI, drive digital change, and operationalize sustainability.
Execution credibility is the differentiator.
TABLE STAKES
P&L Ownership & Scope
30% of respondents landed roles with significantly larger scope than their previous position.
Clear financial impact and the ability to tie every initiative to measurable profitability.
Table stakes for board-level consideration.
DIFFERENTIATOR
Clarity Under Ambiguity
40% of successful searches closed in 4–6 months — clarity of positioning shortened timelines.
Crisp strategies and navigation of uncertainty without extensive infrastructure.
A premium skill in high-growth environments.
MID-MARKET EDGE
Operator-Builder Bridge
67% of respondents who accepted new roles moved into tech, SaaS, or AI — the highest-demand sector for this profile.
Leaders who manage existing operations and build new capabilities simultaneously.
The mid-market edge.
The AI Factor
How AI Is Already Reshaping Executive Searches
37% of respondents reported hitting an AI barrier at some point during their search. This is no longer an edge case — it is a structural shift in how candidates are evaluated before any human ever reads their materials.
37% of respondents hit an AI barrier at some point in their search. Understanding how these systems work — and how to optimize for them — is no longer optional for senior leaders in transition.
Your Action Plan
What This Means For You
Invest in Network Activation — Now
01
49% of respondents cited this as a top-2 factor. Relationships drive executive moves — every week without deliberate outreach is a week of compounding disadvantage.
Treat Interview Prep as a Revenue Activity
02
47% cited interview prep in their top 2. The offer stage is where most executives lose — structured preparation is a direct investment in total compensation.
Get AI-Literate, Visibly
03
AI is the #1 perceived skill gap and already screening candidates at the executive tier. Your materials and narrative must reflect fluency explicitly.
Pursue the Operator-Builder Profile
04
Mid-market boards are investing in leaders who can both manage and build. If you can only demonstrate one side of that equation, you are competing for half the available opportunities.
Close Cohen Careers
The search has changed. Most senior leaders haven't.
Directors and VPs are losing offers not because they’re underqualified — but because they’re running a 2019 search in a 2026 market.
2026
YOUR NEXT STEP
Ready to run a smarter search?
Most Directors and VPs we work with are doing everything right — and still no having the impact they desire.
The difference isn’t effort.
It’s strategy.
49%
9%
Network activation is the #1 driver
Volume applications. Dead last.
4-6 mo
The window that closes fastest
30 minutes. Thought partnership. Just a real conversation about your search.