Market Signal: last year's comp benchmarks no longer close offers
One US search produced 45+ candidate rejections on salary alone, each at first call.
Sourcechange ran a single US search this quarter that generated 45+ candidate rejections on salary alone, same role, same spec. Each rejection landed at first call, before strategy, title, or relocation came up. Across active US mandates, the most common reason a qualified candidate exits a process is cash.
The signal Clients say they benchmarked the role last year. Candidates say that number was the floor in 2024. Both are correct, and that is the problem. Searches priced to a benchmark from a year ago stall.
Hiring Senior Commercial, Development, and Project Finance Leaders on US storage builds are the roles where finalists walk at offer stage. The searches that close pair market-rate budget with flexibility built in from the start.