The executive talent big paradox.

The labour market is experiencing a silent contradiction.

In entry-level, junior or even middle management roles, finding opportunities is becoming more and more difficult. The demand for this type of position is high, with requirements for senior profiles for initial positions and, in addition, there is a massification of candidates. There are more professionals than positions available.

However, beyond certain levels of responsibility, the tables turn completely.

When we talk about management positions, the market is reversed: there are more companies looking to incorporate executive talent than managers looking for new challenges.

I call this phenomenon the Executive Talent Paradox.

Why does this paradox occur?

1. Increasingly homogeneous needs between companies

We live in VUCA environments, accelerated by digitalization and the rise of AI.

Most companies need management profiles with very similar characteristics:

• Digital transformation expertise
• Leadership in environments of change
• Strategic capacity
• Results-oriented in complex contexts

The problem is clear:
There are more companies that require these profiles than the professionals who actually provide them.

The demand is concentrated. The offer does not.

2. Globalization of the management market

Years ago, competition for talent was local or regional.

Today we compete against the world.

Teleworking and globalization have caused a multinational company to hire a manager who lives in the same city as you, offering him an international salary package.

The war for talent is no longer between neighboring companies. It’s between global companies.

3. Lack of readjustment of expectations

Many organizations have not yet internalized this shift in power in the marketplace.

They continue to define ideal profiles far from their true capacity for attraction. They overestimate their positioning as employers and do not adapt their expectations to reality.

Increasingly, the power of decision is held by the candidate.

And whoever does not understand this, will be left out of the game.

What can companies do to avoid falling behind?

From our experience at Saltor Talent accompanying companies in the incorporation of key management profiles, we share some fundamental guidelines:

1. Realistic Expectation Management

It is essential to do an exercise in organizational self-awareness.

Companies must incorporate profiles that fit their current reality, not their idealized or aspirational version. Sometimes, the perfect candidate doesn’t exist. The right candidate does.

2. Intelligent structuring of the remuneration package

The competition is no longer local.

If you are competing against multinationals, you must structure attractive proposals. It’s not just about fixed salary, but about designing competitive packages that include:

• Variable aligned with strategic objectives
• LTIs (Long Term Incentives) or other medium-term loyalty schemes

Management talent values vision and project, but also security and economic recognition in accordance with the global market.

3. Real flexibility

Rigid working hours and the absolute requirement for physical presence are now an exclusionary filter. When talent is scarce, flexibility ceases to be a benefit and becomes a strategic lever.

Expanding the geographical scope of the search through hybrid or remote models can make the difference between finding the right profile or not.

4. Agility in the selection process

Probably the most determining factor.

When talent is abundant, you can afford long processes, multiple phases, and complex assessments.

When talent is scarce, the fastest wins.

The most sought-after management profiles are simultaneously in several processes and frequently receive proposals. The first to make a solid and coherent offer usually takes the candidate.

Companies with endless processes will lose excellent talent along the way.

The Executive Talent Paradox is not a one-off trend. It is a structural reality of the current market.

Companies that adapt their mindset, expectations and processes will be the ones that manage to attract and retain the leaders they need. Those who don’t will continue to wonder why “there is no talent”.

At Saltor Talent we are specialists in the search and selection of management profiles of high scarcity and complexity, accompanying organizations to compete successfully in this new scenario.

César Durán