The great unblocking: why hiring has slowed even though demand hasn’t
The great unblocking: Why hiring has slowed even though demand hasn’t
Across the insurance broking market, a familiar frustration is emerging.
And yet hiring processes drag on, decisions stall, and vacancies remain open far longer than expected.
At first glance, this can look like a confidence issue or a softening market. In reality, demand for good people remains strong. What has changed is the complexity of hiring decisions themselves.
Hiring has not slowed because firms do not want to grow. It has slowed because the cost of getting it wrong now feels higher than ever.
Decision paralysis in a more exposed market
Many insurance businesses are operating in more exposed environments than they were five years ago.
Boards are more cautious. PE scrutiny is sharper. Margins are under pressure. Clients are less forgiving of mistakes. As a result, each senior hire feels more consequential.
This often leads to over-engineered job briefs, longer shortlists, additional interview stages, and a quiet hope that “the perfect candidate” will appear and remove the risk.
In practice, this rarely happens.
Replacement hire or upgrade hire?
One of the most common blockers we see is internal misalignment around the purpose of a hire.
Is the role a like-for-like replacement, or is it an upgrade?
Is the expectation stability, growth, or transformation?
When this is not clearly agreed at the outset, hiring decisions stall. Candidates sense hesitation, processes drift, and momentum is lost.
The longer a role stays open, the harder it becomes to fill well.
The hidden impact of counteroffers
Counteroffers are playing a quieter but more disruptive role than many firms realise.
Even when candidates ultimately stay put, the process often delays hiring decisions elsewhere. Internal teams wait to see outcomes. Pipelines pause. Confidence erodes.
By the time a role is reactivated, the original urgency has gone, but the underlying problem remains.
Why speed now matters again
In 2026, the strongest candidates are selective and cautious, but they still expect clarity.
Firms that move decisively, communicate honestly, and understand what they are really hiring for are consistently winning better outcomes than those who wait for certainty.
Hiring has not become risk-free. But avoiding decisions altogether is now a risk in itself.
Our perspective
At Cavendish Maine, we spend a significant amount of time helping clients clarify what a role actually needs before going to market.
Often, the most valuable part of the process is not the shortlist, but the early conversations that unblock decision-making and create alignment internally.
In a market where demand remains strong but decisions are harder, clarity is the real competitive advantage.
If you would like to discuss how this applies to your current or future hiring plans, we are always happy to have a confidential, exploratory conversation.