The Real Work Trend? Brilliant People Are Still Being Shut Out

We’re surrounded by headlines about AI-driven pay rises, stabilising hybrid models, and startup innovation. Every week brings another report promising to reshape the future of work.

But from where I sit speaking to candidates and companies every day the picture looks very different.

The Headlines

AI fluency boosts earnings. Recent research shows that professionals using AI in their roles can command up to double the pay.

Hybrid work stabilising -A Stanford study across 40 countries shows ~1.3 remote days/week on average.

UK job market softening -Unemployment is at a four-year high (4.7%) with 1.67 million people unemployed. Vacancies have dropped to 727,000 - the lowest since early 2021.

Job search times stretch longer One industry study found it now takes an average of six months to land a new role — the longest wait in over three years.

Older workers stuck despite labour shortages — Only ~56% of Europeans aged 60–64 remain employed, with lower participation among those with fewer formal qualifications.

UAE expansion plans 67% of Gulf employers expect to add headcount in 2025.

Asia job-switch surge 57% of professionals in Singapore and 47% in Hong Kong are planning to change jobs this year 57% of professionals in Singapore and 47% in Hong Kong are planning to change jobs this year.

The Reality

While the trends may be accurate, they don't reflect the reality for many people:

Talented professionals over 45 are applying for dozens of roles and hearing nothing back.

Recent graduates with all the right skills are being told they lack experience, without being given a real shot.

Candidates who took time out to care for others or gained international experience are still penalised for not having "linear" careers — even when that experience brings valuable perspective.

For these groups, the system feels not just broken — but rigged. I’ve seen this firsthand — from seasoned internal comms leaders to brilliant digital marketers and campaign strategists who can’t get a look in.

What That Means for Employers

Companies say they're struggling to hire. Teams are stretched, key roles are unfilled, and burnout is rising. But the hiring process itself is blocking access to incredible talent.

If your process overlooks someone because their CV doesn't match the latest buzzwords or their experience doesn’t follow a predictable path, you're not filtering for quality — you're filtering out possibility.

It’s not about lowering the bar. It’s about looking in the right places.

What I'm Doing

Here’s what I’m actively doing for both sides of the hiring gap:

For candidates

I offer practical, human-first support especially for experienced professionals, returners, and sector switchers who are being overlooked. That includes 1:1 sessions, accessible tool-kits, and honest, grounded advice from someone who knows the system inside out.

For clients

I specialise in executive search and talent advisory for communications, marketing, and corporate affairs roles — from senior leadership to agile, embedded support alongside inclusive shortlists, talent mapping, and support with interview design and hiring strategy.

It’s not theory it’s what I do every day, and I’ve seen what works.
Let’s Fix This Together

Whether you're trying to get back in, break in, or hire better I’m doing what I can to support both sides.

If you’re quietly struggling with the job search or rethinking how you hire, I’m happy to share a few things that might help. The system may feel stuck but we don’t have to be.

This isn't about rethinking work in theory. It's about making the hiring system work better in practice.

Lisa MacMillan is an international headhunter and founder of Macmillan Consulting. She specialises in executive search and inclusive hiring strategies across communications, marketing, and leadership roles in the UK, Europe, MENA and Asia-Pacific.