In executive search today, it’s rarely as simple as “pay more.” The trend is toward customized value propositions—balancing cash, equity, vesting structure, flexibility, and scope. In high-competition talent segments (notably AI and product/engineering leadership), companies are adapting policies to reduce perceived risk for candidates.
One visible example: highly competitive AI employers are adjusting equity structures to improve acceptance—recent reporting highlights changes such as eliminating or shortening vesting cliffs to make offers feel less risky to new hires.
At the same time, organizations are rethinking the relationship between location and pay. Mercer has discussed an emerging “in-person premium,” noting year-over-year compensation increases differing by work arrangement in some datasets—an important signal for executive packages that include hybrid expectations.
What this means for companies: winning candidates often comes down to reducing friction—clarifying decision rights, de-risking equity, tightening start-date logistics, and being explicit about flexibility. If you want A-tier leaders, expect to design packages around what they value—not just what the spreadsheet allows.