This JRG Partners report synthesizes what we observe in the executive search market into a practical analysis for employers and boards. Mid-market companies, roughly $50M to $1B in revenue, face distinctive leadership hiring challenges: they compete for talent against larger and better-known companies, often hire leaders to professionalize and scale, and must build leadership depth as they grow. This report analyzes the mid-market leadership landscape and how these companies can hire and build leadership effectively.
Executive Summary
- Mid-market companies face distinctive leadership hiring challenges.
- They compete for talent against larger, better-known companies.
- Many hire leaders to professionalize and scale the business.
- Building leadership depth is a common mid-market priority.
- Mid-market employers can win talent by selling opportunity and impact.
The Mid-Market Hiring Challenge
Mid-market companies occupy a distinctive position: large enough to need strong, professional leadership, but often competing for that leadership against larger, better-known, and sometimes better-resourced companies. They may lack the brand recognition, scale, or compensation ceiling of large companies, yet need excellent leaders to grow. This creates a specific challenge: attracting strong leadership talent in competition with more prominent employers. Mid-market companies that understand this challenge, and compete on their genuine strengths rather than trying to outbid larger companies, can attract excellent leaders, while those that do not may struggle to win the talent they need.
Hiring to Professionalize and Scale
A common mid-market leadership need is hiring to professionalize and scale: as companies grow through the mid-market, they often need to bring in more professional, capable leadership to add rigor, structure, and the capability to scale, sometimes replacing or supplementing founders and early leaders who fit an earlier stage. This means mid-market hiring is often about bringing in leaders who can take the company to the next level, professionalizing functions and building scalable capability. Recognizing when the company has outgrown its current leadership, and hiring to professionalize and scale, is a central mid-market leadership task, and doing it well is often what enables continued growth.
Building Leadership Depth
Mid-market companies often need to build leadership depth: as they grow, they must develop a genuine leadership team and bench, rather than relying on a few individuals or the founder. Building this depth, through hiring and development, reduces key-person risk, enables scaling, and prepares the company for its future needs, including potential succession or sale. Mid-market companies that build leadership depth deliberately position themselves to grow and to weather transitions, while those that remain dependent on a few individuals carry risk. Building a capable, deep leadership team is a strategic priority for growing mid-market companies, and one that pays off in resilience and scalability.
Winning Talent as a Mid-Market Company
Mid-market companies can win strong leadership talent, not by outbidding larger companies, but by competing on their genuine advantages: the opportunity for greater impact and scope than a leader might have at a larger company, the chance to shape and build, meaningful equity or upside, and often a more personal, less bureaucratic environment. Strong leaders are often drawn to the impact and opportunity a mid-market company offers, if it is sold well. Mid-market employers that articulate and sell these genuine advantages, rather than competing purely on compensation or brand, can attract excellent leaders who value what the mid-market uniquely offers.
| Advantage | Why It Attracts Leaders |
|---|---|
| Greater impact and scope | Leaders can shape more than at a large company |
| The chance to build | Appeals to builders and entrepreneurial leaders |
| Meaningful equity or upside | Real reward for driving growth |
| Less bureaucracy | A more personal, agile environment |
| Growth trajectory | The chance to grow with the company |
What This Means for Employers
- Compete for talent on genuine mid-market strengths, not by outbidding larger companies.
- Hire to professionalize and scale when the company outgrows its current leadership.
- Build genuine leadership depth to reduce key-person risk and enable growth.
- Sell the impact, scope, and opportunity the mid-market uniquely offers.
- Bring rigor to hiring, since mid-market hires are high-stakes for a growing company.
About This Report
This report reflects JRG Partners’ analysis of leadership hiring trends observed among mid-market companies in our executive search practice. It is intended as informed practitioner analysis to help mid-market employers and boards, not as a statistical survey, and readers should weigh it alongside their own circumstances.
The Bottom Line
Mid-market companies face distinctive leadership challenges, competing for talent against larger companies, hiring to professionalize and scale, and building leadership depth, so they win by competing on their genuine advantages of impact, scope, and opportunity, hiring to take the company to the next level, and building a capable, deep leadership team rather than trying to outbid more prominent employers.
Related Reading
For employers going deeper, see The Founder’s Dilemma, 10 Signs Your Company Has Outgrown Its Leadership Team, Governance for Growth.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What defines mid-market leadership hiring?
- A: Mid-market companies ($50M-$1B) compete for talent against larger, better-known companies, often hire to professionalize and scale, and must build leadership depth as they grow.
- Q: How do mid-market companies compete for talent?
- A: On their genuine advantages, greater impact and scope, the chance to build, meaningful equity, and a less bureaucratic environment, rather than by outbidding larger companies.
- Q: What does hiring to professionalize mean?
- A: Bringing in more professional, capable leadership to add rigor, structure, and scaling capability as the company grows, sometimes supplementing founders or early leaders.
- Q: Why build leadership depth?
- A: Because it reduces key-person risk, enables scaling, and prepares the company for its future, including succession or sale, positioning a growing company for resilience and growth.
- Q: Is this report based on survey data?
- A: It reflects JRG Partners’ analysis of mid-market leadership hiring trends observed in our practice, offered as informed practitioner analysis rather than a statistical survey.
![](https://www.jrgpartners.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/tanya-gallardo.jpeg")
Tanya Gallardo
Managing Director, Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy
Tanya Gallardo is the Managing Director of Executive Search & AI Talent Strategy at JRG Partners, leading C-suite and Board engagements across key growth sectors including Technology, Financial Services, and Manufacturing.
With over 18 years of experience specializing in disruptive technology leadership, Tanya is recognized as a leading authority on talent architecture for future-focused executive roles, such as the Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Her expertise lies in accurately assessing the cultural fit and technical depth required to ensure a high return on investment (ROI) for critical leadership appointments.
Prior to her role at JRG Partners, Tanya held senior roles directing global talent acquisition strategies at a major publicly-traded technology firm, advising on organizational design and succession planning for emerging executive functions. She is a recognized speaker and contributor to industry events, sharing data-driven insights on executive compensation, leadership development, and the measurable business impact of C-suite talent.
