The prevailing trend in the current job market is a reduced emphasis on aggressive hiring practices, which has made talent retention considerably more feasible. Juan Urdiales Co-Founder & CEO, Job&Talent Yet the challenge of recruiting top-tier talent remains as daunting as ever. Strong leaders and talent are deeply committed to their current organisations, and given the challenging climate within our industry, it’s di昀케cult to persuade them to consider alternative opportunities. Employ- ee engagement and wellbeing have become more crucial than ever for attracting and retaining talent. In an era where talent is in high demand, the organisations that prioritise the well-being, growth, and satisfaction of their employees are the ones that will ultimately thrive and build lasting relationships with their workforce. For many it is now less attractive to become a founder Taking the leap to become a founder has never been an easy decision, with the changing macro environment posing challenges to even the most experienced builders. Unsurprisingly, perceptions around becoming a founder now compared to a year ago have shifted negatively. On average across the ecosystem, more (36% of respondents) see the prospect of being a founder today as less attractive than it was a year ago (versus 26% of all respondents that perceive it is now more attractive). Founders themselves are even more likely than other respondents to say there has been a negative change year on year. Meanwhile, students and researchers are the most optimistic respondent group. It is more important than ever to ensure that new founders have the support they need and that the European ecosystem maintains a healthy in昀氀ux of new funding talent, especially since today’s market conditions actual- ly create an environment to build a company where there is less noise, less competition and greater access to potential talent. 169 | Talent