A large hiring package is a starting point for questions.
Compensation can help explain organisational pressure. It cannot, by itself, tell you why someone moved or whether a team will remain intact.
Cato & Veil · Research desk · 15 September 2026
Compare like with like.
Base salary, equity grants, signing payments and multi-year packages are different quantities. An estimated package is not cash received. A headline about one exceptional hire should not become a benchmark for an entire profession. Any market comparison needs a period, a population and a consistent definition.
Keep the statistic attached to its question.
ManpowerGroup’s February 2026 survey reported that 72% of employers had difficulty filling roles overall. AI skills ranked as the hardest to find. The first figure is not the percentage struggling specifically to fill AI roles. That distinction changes what can reasonably be inferred.
Examine the organisational implications.
A client may need to understand whether a proposed investment depends on expensive hires, whether incentives are concentrated around a small team, or whether reported departures affect the work they rely on. These are matters for a scoped assessment, supported by records and appropriate enquiries.
Separate an event from an explanation.
A departure is an event. Its cause is a separate claim. Public statements, timing, contractual incentives and organisational changes can inform hypotheses, but the report should make clear which explanations are established and which remain open.