As we begin 2025, buyside hiring is off to a solid start. However, there has been one downside to the robust environment: difficulty closing candidates. Firms are finding it increasingly arduous to manage recruiting processes and get candidates over the line. Below, we explore the six biggest hiring missteps we’re seeing in 2025, as well as strategies on how to avoid them.

On a related note, we believe some candidates are hesitant to recruit due to positive perceptions of their 2024 year-end compensation. To help inform this, Odyssey is currently collecting compensation data via our annual surveys, targeting public equities and credit investors (including performing, special situations, and private credit). As part of our annual compensation research efforts, private equity investment professional compensation will be collected this summer after bonuses are communicated to juniors. We look forward to sharing credit and public equities compensation findings with our clients in the coming weeks!

One area where we’ve seen particular interest is investor relations and fund marketing. As firms develop their fundraising functions, demand has increased for professionals with a deep understanding of product offerings, distribution channels, and client servicing. In this newsletter, we leverage our data to provide insights on the evolving fundraising landscape.

We look forward to a successful year together.

The Odyssey Search Partners Team