Search strategy

Design the upfront plan for a recruiting search assignment — target market, channel mix, positioning, timeline, and success criteria — so sourcing effort is focused and defensible before outreach begins.

Supported tasks

• Translating a hiring manager brief into a structured search strategy
• Defining target companies, functions, and candidate profiles for a search
• Selecting the right channel mix (direct sourcing, referrals, agencies, ads)
• Setting a realistic search timeline with milestones
• Defining search success criteria and what "done" looks like
• Deciding between contingent, retained, or internal-led search approaches
• Building a search brief document to align stakeholders before sourcing starts
• Identifying likely search risks (thin market, comp mismatch, location constraints)
• Planning search strategy for confidential or sensitive replacements
• Adjusting strategy mid-search when initial approach isn't yielding results
• Aligning search strategy with employer brand and candidate positioning
• Comparing search strategy options for the same role at different budget levels

Key prompts

Building the strategy

1. "Turn this hiring manager brief into a structured search strategy for [role], including target market, channels, and timeline."
2. "What's the right channel mix for sourcing [role] — direct outreach, referrals, job boards, agency support?"
3. "Define success criteria and a realistic timeline for a search for [role] in [market]."
4. "Should this search be run as contingent, retained, or internal-only, and why?"

Stakeholder alignment

1. "Draft a one-page search brief to align the hiring manager and recruiter before sourcing starts on [role]."
2. "What questions should I ask the hiring manager before finalizing search strategy for [role]?"
3. "How do I present a search strategy that sets realistic expectations for a hard-to-fill role?"
4. "How should stakeholder alignment differ for a confidential search versus a publicly posted one?"

Risk and course correction

1. "What risks should we flag upfront for a search for [role] given [thin talent market / tight comp band / remote restriction]?"
2. "Our search for [role] hasn't produced qualified candidates after [timeframe] — how should we adjust strategy?"
3. "Compare a broader-market search strategy vs. a narrow, highly targeted approach for [role] — trade-offs of each."
4. "At what point should we recommend pausing a search entirely rather than continuing to invest in it?"

Confidential searches

1. "Design a search strategy for a confidential replacement search for [role] that protects the incumbent."
2. "How do we source and screen candidates for a confidential search without tipping off the market or the incumbent's network?"
3. "Draft candidate-facing language explaining confidentiality expectations for a sensitive replacement search."
4. "What internal stakeholders need to know about a confidential search, and how do we limit that circle appropriately?"

Tips

• Agree on search strategy with the hiring manager in writing before sourcing starts — misalignment discovered mid-search wastes weeks.
• Build in a checkpoint (typically 2-3 weeks in) to review whether the strategy is producing the right candidates, not just candidates.
• Match channel investment to role criticality — a hard-to-fill executive search justifies more direct sourcing effort than a high-volume standard role.
• Document assumptions (comp range, location flexibility, must-have vs. nice-to-have) so strategy can be revisited quickly if a constraint turns out to be wrong.
• Revisit strategy, not just effort, when a search stalls — often the problem is targeting or positioning, not sourcing volume.