There’s been no shortage of predictions about how dramatically hiring has changed. AI is transforming jobs. Remote work has rewritten the rules. New technology is changing how companies find and evaluate talent. Every week seems to bring a new headline about what employers and candidates should be doing differently.
But when we look at what’s actually happening across the mid-market, the picture is a little less dramatic. The fundamentals of hiring haven’t changed nearly as much as the headlines suggest.
Companies still need to understand what they actually need before they start searching. Candidates still want to know what a role, company, and opportunity can offer them. And successful hiring still comes down to finding the overlap between the two.
That said, we’re seeing some meaningful movement across finance, IT, and operations as well as a few patterns worth paying attention to if you’re building a team this quarter.
Finance is Picking Up!
The clearest shift we’re seeing right now is in finance hiring.
Our team is currently working on several Controller searches, recently closed another Controller role, and is expecting additional Controller and Senior Accountant opportunities to come through this week.
This activity tells us something important. Mid-market companies are investing in the financial leadership and infrastructure they need to support what comes next. These aren’t backfills or one-offs. In every case, these are companies looking for experienced professionals who bring structure, improve processes, and help leadership make better decisions as their business grows.
A few things are driving this, in our conversations with hiring leaders:
- Growth is outpacing existing infrastructure. Companies that scaled quickly over the past few years are now realizing their finance function hasn’t kept pace. A bookkeeper or generalist accountant who was enough at $10M in revenue isn’t enough at $30M.
- Boards and investors are asking harder questions. Whether it’s a PE-backed portfolio company or a founder-led business preparing for a transaction, there’s growing pressure for cleaner financials, tighter close processes, and more sophisticated reporting, and that all requires people, not just software.
IT & Operations: Still Focused on the Fundamentals
IT and Operations hiring continues to be more measured, but the same fundamentals are driving demand. Companies aren’t necessarily looking to hire simply because a new technology or trend exists. They’re looking for people who can solve a specific problem, improve efficiency, support growth, or fill a capability they don’t have internally.
We are seeing this show up in a few ways:
- Fewer speculative hires. Companies are being more deliberate about headcount, which means roles tend to have a clearer mandate attached to them from day one.
- A premium on hybrid skill sets. Operations candidates who understand both processes and systems (not just one or the other) are getting more attention, since companies want people who can bridge the gap between strategy and execution.
The Takeaway is This…
It’s easy to get distracted by what’s new. But right now, we would encourage hiring leaders to stay disciplined about the fundamentals.
- Define the need clearly. Know exactly what problem this hire needs to solve, not just the title you’re posting for.
- Understand what success looks like. Have a concrete picture of what this person needs to accomplish in their first six to twelve months.
- Know what your ideal candidate actually values. Compensation matters, but so does growth path, stability, and the day-to-day realities of the role.
- Communicate why the opportunity is worth pursuing. The best candidates have options. Be ready to make the case for why this role, at this company, right now!
The market will keep generating headlines about what’s changing. But the companies getting it right in the mid-market are the ones who haven’t lost sight of what’s always mattered.