Good afternoon,

Q1 is in the books. I know… it went fast. Before you know it, we’ll be at holiday parties answering the same old question: “How was the year?”

After a stronger-than-expected March jobs report, which I’ll get into further below, things are continuing to move. January was slow, February was good, and March was better. 

From my travels and conversations, that progression seems to be consistent across most businesses.

As always, feel free to jump on my calendar at any time to discuss hiring or career transitions.

The Work.

March's jobs report delivered a rebound, with 178,000 jobs added following February’s decline.

Activity remains consistent across both executive and professional searches, with no single sector significantly outperforming or lagging. The demand is there, but companies are taking a more deliberate path, with greater scrutiny around each hire. Candidly, we support it; it gives us the opportunity to lean in and truly partner with our clients to ensure they are getting the right profile for the opportunity.

One interesting data point from within CSP: despite this more measured approach, our average time-to-hire in Q1 was 65 days, compared to 77 days a year ago. When organizations are aligned and decisive, processes are still moving efficiently.

As we move further into Q2, it will be interesting to see whether this level of consistency holds or whether increased confidence drives a faster hiring pace.

Featured Searches

The following engagements represent trusted partnerships with clients who have asked us to align closely with their leadership teams on critical hires. These searches reflect strategic commitments where we are deeply embedded and fully accountable for delivering a successful experience for all parties.

Chief Financial Officer

Stevensville, MD 

Chief Financial Officer

Baltimore, MD 

Senior Accountant

Towson, MD 

Divisional Controls Manager

Baltimore, MD 

Senior Account Manager, Benefits

Baltimore, MD 

Channel Partner Manager

Baltimore, MD

Leasing Specialist

Baltimore, MD 

Upcoming Events in the Market:

Quotes & The Stories Behind Them

"The Road to Success Is Always Under Construction."

— Tampa Bay Bucs, 2017 Hard Knocks

The NFL Draft is this week, and there’s no better time to lean on a sports quote. While actress and comedian Lily Tomlin is often credited with this line, I first heard it watching the 2017 season of Hard Knocks featuring the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This is the time of year when you realize how quickly everything is moving. Q1 is already in the books. Summer is right around the corner. And whether you planned to or not, you start asking yourself, not panicking, but thinking…what kind of year is this going to be?

We all want a fast start. Set the tone early. Build momentum, and if we’re being honest, hope we can ride that into a strong, steady year. But that’s rarely how it works.

Because success isn’t something you build once and cruise on.

It’s constant work. Adjusting. Fixing. Improving. Some weeks you’re making real progress. Other weeks, it feels like you’re tearing things up just to lay them back down again. That’s the construction.

And that’s the point.

The people and teams that ultimately “get there” aren’t the ones who had it all figured out in Q1…they’re the ones who keep building when it gets inconvenient, messy, or uncertain.

The road isn’t finished. It never is.

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