Introduction
Talent sourcing and executive search, covering passive candidates, headhunting and search firms, is the subject of this 5-day course for talent acquisition, sourcing and HR leadership units, who produce an Executive Search and Talent Mapping Plan for a case organisation. Many organisations fill scarce and senior roles by waiting for applicants or by handing searches to external firms without a clear brief, so critical posts stay open and fees buy little market insight. Nominees already manage vacancies and recruiter relationships, and work through case studies on real search assignments. CoreConcept Training Center delivers this talent sourcing course.
Course Objectives
- Build a sourcing strategy for a scarce or senior role from a calibrated intake brief, target company list and channel plan
- Write Boolean and X-ray search strings that locate qualified passive candidates on professional networks, search engines and specialist communities
- Produce a talent map and market intelligence report covering competitor organisation charts, compensation signals and candidate availability
- Approach, engage and assess passive candidates through discreet outreach, exploratory calls and evidence-based shortlist reports
- Brief, contract and manage retained, contingent and container search firms, including fee terms, off-limits clauses and progress reviews
- Track sourcing performance with funnel conversion, response rate, slate diversity and search cycle time indicators
Target Audience
- Talent acquisition units responsible for filling scarce, specialist and leadership vacancies
- Sourcing and research staff responsible for building candidate pipelines and market maps
- HR business partners responsible for advising executives on senior appointments and succession gaps
- HR leaders responsible for commissioning and overseeing external executive search firms
- Recruitment operations staff responsible for search firm contracts, fees and supplier performance
Course Outline
Day 1: Sourcing Landscape and Hiring Intake for Scarce Roles
- Active Versus Passive Candidate Markets and Sourcing Implications
- In-House Sourcing Versus Executive Search Firm Decision Criteria
- Calibrated Intake Meeting Template for Senior and Niche Roles
- Ideal Candidate Profile and Target Company List Construction
- Sourcing Channel Audit Using Source-of-Hire and Pipeline Data
Day 2: Search Techniques, Talent Mapping and Professional Standards
- Boolean Operators, Proximity and Field Commands for Candidate Search
- X-Ray Search Strings Across Search Engines and Public Profiles
- Professional Network Recruiter Search Filters and Project Pipelines
- Talent Mapping Method for Competitor Organisation Charts and Successors
- Executive Search Code of Professional Conduct and Candidate Rights
Day 3: Passive Candidate Engagement and Executive Assessment
- Outreach Message Sequences for Discreet First Approach to Executives
- Exploratory Headhunting Call Script with Motivation and Mobility Probes
- Market Intelligence Report on Compensation Signals and Candidate Availability
- Executive Candidate Report Format with Evidence and Referee Leads
- Longlist to Shortlist Calibration with Hiring Executive and Panel
Day 4: Search Firm Management, Fee Models and Search Risks
- Retained, Contingent and Container Search Fee Structures Compared
- Search Firm Selection Scorecard and Request for Proposal Pack
- Search Agreement Clauses on Off-Limits, Guarantees and Replacement Terms
- Counter-Offer, Confidentiality Breach and Failed Search Recovery Actions
- Sourcing Scorecard Tracking Response Rate, Slate Diversity and Cycle Time
Day 5: Case Study Work and the Executive Search Plan
- Case Organisation Intake Brief and Target Company List Review
- Case Boolean and X-Ray Search Build for a Scarce Specialist
- Case Talent Map and Market Intelligence Summary for Leadership
- Case Search Firm Brief with Fee Model and Off-Limits Terms
- Executive Search and Talent Mapping Plan Completion and Peer Defence
Skills You Will Gain
- Boolean Search Construction
- Talent Mapping
- Market Intelligence Analysis
- Passive Candidate Outreach
- Executive Candidate Assessment
- Search Firm Supplier Management
- Fee Model Negotiation
- Sourcing Performance Measurement
Why Attend This Course
- Deliver an Executive Search and Talent Mapping Plan for a case organisation to the head of talent acquisition and the executive sponsoring the hire
- Choose whether a senior or scarce role should be sourced in house or given to a retained, contingent or container search firm
- Avoid paying search fees for slates that the in-house team could have built, and avoid vacancies lost to unmanaged counter-offers
- Pass on Boolean string libraries, outreach sequences, intake templates and the search firm scorecard to sourcing colleagues
Conclusion
Back at work, the participant hands the Executive Search and Talent Mapping Plan to the head of talent acquisition and the executive sponsoring the hire, who use its talent map, target company list and channel choice to decide how the next senior or scarce role is filled. The search firm brief and scorecard go to the HR leadership and procurement units that contract external firms. After the first search under the plan, the unit should review response rates, slate quality, cycle time and the fee paid against the value of the market intelligence received.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What should participants know before the talent sourcing and executive search course?
Participants should already manage vacancies or recruiter relationships and know the basic recruitment cycle from requisition to offer. Prior use of professional network search is helpful but not required. Bringing an anonymised senior or scarce vacancy helps them apply the case work.
How does talent sourcing and executive search differ from a general recruitment and interviewing course?
Talent sourcing and executive search focuses on finding and engaging people who are not applying, mapping talent markets and managing headhunters. General recruitment and interviewing courses cover requisitions, screening applicants, structured interviews and scoring once candidates are already in the process.
When should an organisation use a retained search firm instead of in-house talent sourcing?
A retained search firm suits confidential, board-level or highly scarce appointments where market access and discretion matter most. In-house talent sourcing suits repeat roles, mid-level specialists and searches where the internal team already holds talent maps and candidate relationships.
What do participants take back from the talent sourcing and executive search course?
Participants take back an Executive Search and Talent Mapping Plan for a case organisation, with an intake template, Boolean and X-ray string library, outreach sequences, a talent map format, a search firm brief and scorecard, and sourcing performance indicators.
