After a series of quarters with elevated C-level openings, Q1 saw a decline in the share of newly opened roles at that level, our Q1 Quarterly Report shows. Our share of opened searches analysis revealed that C-Level openings comprised 43% of all newly opened executive roles in Q1 2025, down from an average of nearly 45% the two prior quarters. The decline was matched by an increase in share for Director-level roles, which grew two percentage points in Q1 (to 19% from 17% in Q4 2024). This change matches anecdotes from talent leaders, who have said the prevailing conversations around new requisitions is whether the level being requested is truly needed—or whether the organization can move a level or two down.