The Retained Search Show

The recruitment landscape is shifting fast and AI is handing boutique search firms the edge to compete with industry giants. In this conversation, we unpack how artificial intelligence is transforming workflows, enhancing capabilities, and reshaping competitive dynamics in executive search without losing the human touch.

Jord shares how he went from using ChatGPT as “Google on steroids” to fully integrating AI into his day-to-day, like building a laser-targeted prospect list in minutes that once took days. Sarah shows how AI-driven analysis surfaced patterns in their marketing data that would’ve taken a full day to find manually.

We also contrast adoption styles across the industry. While some larger firms cite concerns (GDPR, candidate experience) and move cautiously, smaller boutiques are embracing AI, winning work by pairing human judgment with AI-assisted speed and polish. The takeaway: AI won’t replace your expertise; it amplifies it, freeing you to focus on high-value conversations and relationships.

What you’ll learn:

• Using AI for research & prospecting to turn hours into minutes
• Creating custom GPTs that understand your niche, process, and brand voice
• Analyzing business data with AI to uncover patterns humans might miss
• Producing client-ready deliverables that rival larger firms’ output
• Recording yourself and using AI to keep your authentic voice in content
• Training AI like a new hire: invest upfront to get better downstream results
• Running strategic reviews with AI to spot growth opportunities
• Applying AI personally first to build comfort and momentum

Join us:
Want to supercharge BD with AI? Thursday, September 18 at 1:00 PM UK - our webinar covers actionable plays to leverage AI in your search firm while keeping the humanity front and center. Bring your own AI wins and questions, we’d love to hear how you’re using these tools.

Join with a click here: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7371891640543748097/

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

In this episode, Paul Press, founder and managing partner of Press Associates, joins us to unpack how ChatGPT and other AI tools are transforming recruitment. From automating time-consuming tasks to enabling anyone to launch a search firm with minimal investment, the possibilities are limitless.

We explore:

• Which CRMs are best for search firms, and why HubSpot is emerging as an AI-powered favourite
• The single biggest AI-driven time-saver for recruiters
• Three tiers of AI adoption—native, assisted, and augmented—and where executive search fits in
• How custom GPTs can act as on-demand subject matter experts
• Why AI has slashed the time and cost of starting a search firm
• The irreplaceable role of human insight and judgment in an AI-driven world
• Why clients choose people, not brands, in executive search

Whether you’re running an established practice or thinking of launching your first search business, you’ll leave with practical ways to harness AI to compete—and win—in this rapidly changing market.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

Ever wondered why most recruitment CRMs feel like they're designed for management rather than consultants? Manan Shah, co-founder of Recruiterflow, reveals how his accidental journey into recruitment technology led to creating a system that prioritizes consultant productivity over top-down control.

Manan's insight is simple yet revolutionary: traditional recruitment software gets implemented when management "shoves it down the throat of consultants," creating adoption problems because it doesn't help them make more money. Recruiterflow flips this model, building tools specifically for frontline recruiters that also deliver the visibility management needs.

The conversation dives deep into how AI is transforming recruitment across different segments. 

Manan categorizes AI implementation into three approaches: AI-native for high-volume roles, AI-assist for mid-senior positions requiring nuanced judgment, and AI-augment for executive search. The most fascinating innovations come through "agents" that automatically handle tasks without human prompting – from parsing CVs and categorizing candidates by industry experience to creating client presentations.

Despite these advancements, the industry remains surprisingly behind in adoption. Only about 15% of recruitment firms are using AI strategically, while 40-50% believe they're "AI-enabled" simply because they use ChatGPT for emails. The gap between leaders and laggards is widening as early adopters see concrete improvements in recruiter productivity, accuracy, and revenue.

Looking ahead, Manan predicts we're approaching "peak euphoria" with AI in recruitment, with a reality check coming around 2026 when businesses begin demanding concrete ROI. The future will likely involve ecosystems of specialized AI agents working together across platforms – a development Recruiterflow is already preparing for.

Ready to transform how your recruitment business leverages technology? Connect with Manan on LinkedIn or email him at [email protected] to explore how these innovations might reshape your approach to search.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

How do you go from paying AU$50 a day just to shadow recruiters... to founding a national healthcare talent firm backed by a global partner?

Paris Matin, founder of Healtii People, joins us to share his remarkable journey from chasing tennis dreams to redefining how Australia recruits for allied health, aged care, and social services. What started with pure hustle has evolved into a consultative, scalable, and sophisticated recruitment business with a mission to move beyond transactional hiring.

In this episode, Paris explains:

• Why the Australian recruitment market is thriving while the UK’s contracts
• The 3-tiered model: contingent, retained, and project-retained - and when to use each
• How consultative recruitment creates better client outcomes and stronger business valuation
• What it really takes to shift clients away from quick-fix hiring to long-term partnership
• Why he caps consultants at 8-10 active roles to maintain quality over volume

If you're looking to introduce retained models, improve delivery, or scale sustainably, this episode is packed with hard-won insights. Plus, Paris gives practical advice on how to roll out retained recruitment starting with your strongest client relationships.

Connect with Paris on LinkedIn or visit www.healthiipeople.com.au to learn more about their modern approach to healthcare hiring.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

What do 100 door-knocks in a day and record-breaking recruitment billings have in common? Everything according to Jeron van den Elshout.

In this high-impact episode, Jeron shares how he went from nearly getting fired in his first sales job to founding a global recruitment business operating across the US, Middle East, and Europe.

You’ll hear how persistence turned rejection into revenue, and how a single conversation changed everything, catapulting him from frustrated jobseeker to top biller. Jeron breaks down the key differences between contingent, exclusive, and retained models, and makes a compelling case for why retained isn't just preferable, it's essential for hard-to-fill roles.

We cover:

• Reactive vs. proactive recruitment
• Why "exclusivity" can be misleading when internal talent teams are still in the mix
• Why the retainer model is optimal and what makes it hard to implement
• How Jeron built a personal brand of 40,000+ LinkedIn followers by sharing tips and staying authentic
• The creation of KOLY, a “recruitment incubator” helping consultants eventually launch their own agencies

This episode is packed with hard-earned lessons and practical insights from someone who’s done the work and lived the journey. Jeron brings the experience. Don’t miss it.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

What does it take to escape the race-to-the-bottom world of contingency recruiting and build a high-impact retained search firm?

In this episode, the wise and deeply experienced Clark Waterfall shares the lessons he's learned over decades in search, from placing hourly workers in the printing industry to founding Boston Search Group (BSG), a retained executive search firm serving private equity-backed businesses.

Clark shares about the moment he realized contingency recruitment had become commoditized, treating hiring like buying eggs: transactional, negotiable, and undervalued. Retained search, on the other hand, offered a way to become a true strategic partner in talent acquisition.

Drawing on the research of Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, Clark explains why traditional interviews often fail and how structured assessments and extended candidate exposure can lead to far better hiring decisions.

In this conversation, we cover:

• The Talent Growth & Optimization Cycle
• How to mitigate “blink” judgments with deeper assessments
• What drives lasting client partnerships
• Why fewer clients and deeper relationships yield better outcomes
• The power of challenging clients (even when it’s uncomfortable)

If you’re serious about elevating your recruitment model and becoming a true talent advisor, this episode is unmissable.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

Contingent or retained - what’s the better recruitment model? 

It's a question that’s sparked debate for decades. But maybe we’ve been asking the wrong question all along.

Our host for this episode, Hishem Azzouz, steps into the role of moderator and questions two industry experts with very different experiences and perspectives: Louise Archer, a passionate advocate for retained search, and Chris Moylan, who’s built successful businesses with a contingent-first mindset.

What unfolds isn’t just a battle, but an exploration of how each model can solve very different recruitment challenges. From high-volume hiring to hard-to-fill senior roles, this conversation goes beyond theory and dives into real scenarios.

You’ll hear:

• Why retained search isn’t just about upfront fees, but about a structured, systematic process that leaves no stone unturned
• When contingent works best and how to make it profitable without being commercially vulnerable
• Tactical advice on converting clients from contingent to retained (including Lou’s clever “refundable retainer” strategy)
• Why lowering your fees to ‘sell’ retained often backfires
• Chris’s take on building exclusivity in contingent search without needing upfront commitment
• And most importantly: how to diagnose what your client really needs before recommending a model

So whether you’re a business owner refining your service offering, a consultant navigating client relationships, or a hiring manager trying to figure out what kind of recruiter you need, this episode will give you honest, practical insights you can apply right away.

Huge thanks to Hishem Azzouz and Chris Moylan for joining us on the podcast and having such an open, honest conversation about an industry we're all passionate about. It was a real privilege to hear both perspectives and dive deep into what really works (and when) in recruitment.

We hope this discussion sparks new ideas and helps recruiters and hiring leaders rethink how they approach their own models.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

What would you do if you got fired while sipping wine on vacation in France - even as the top biller at your firm? For Benjamin Mena, that shocking moment became the spark he needed to bet on himself and build a thriving government contracting recruitment agency.

In this heartfelt and unfiltered conversation, Benjamin shares the real story behind his career pivot, from a struggling rookie recruiter nearly let go for not closing deals (despite hitting every metric), to launching a business and growing The Elite Recruiter podcast into a community powerhouse with over 170,000 annual downloads.

You’ll hear how turning down early sales training became his biggest professional regret, and why the lessons he learned from that mistake now shape the way he mentors others. Benjamin also opens up about a critical mindset shift: why chasing fewer, higher-value deals can have more impact than grinding out endless small placements.

We also unpack:

• How content creation and podcasting unexpectedly became his best business development strategy
• Why the AI hype is distracting recruiters from what actually drives results
• The difference between UK and US recruiting models and what it means for your career growth
• Why Benjamin now hosts free recruitment summits to give back to the industry that shaped him

Whether you’re a new recruiter, a team leader, or thinking of starting your own agency, Ben’s journey is full of practical takeaways and honest insights that can help you take your next step with confidence.

Connect with Benjamin Mena on LinkedIn or tune into The Elite Recruiter podcast for more stories, strategies, and straight talk from the frontlines of recruiting.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

Nick Hoadley shares his transformative journey from insurance broker to founder of Insurance Search, a successful retained executive search firm serving the UK, US, and Bermuda insurance markets.

But the path wasn’t linear. Nick opens up about how working in contingent recruitment chipped away at his confidence and professional identity. “You don’t really want to mention to people that you’re a recruiter because of the stigma that comes with it,” he reflects, describing how even major companies overlooked his industry insight and expertise.

The turning point? Embracing retained search.

By shifting to a model where clients commit upfront, Nick was able to deliver real value, from comprehensive market mapping to strategic talent insights, while rebuilding his reputation and relationships in the industry.

In this episode, Nick shares how he:

• Transitioned to retained to build deeper, more professional client partnerships
• Expanded his offering to include standalone research and strategic insights
• Launched innovative BD channels like The Insurance Coffee House podcast
• Uses podcasting to connect with senior leaders and drive inbound business
• Built communities through the Board Club and HR Executive Club
• Created a Managing Partner Program to scale under the Insurance Search brand
• Rejected the 360 model in favour of playing to people’s natural strengths

His advice to recruiters?
 “If you value your time, you’ve got to move to retained.”

For those unsure, he recommends starting small - testing the waters, building confidence, and experiencing firsthand how the retained model changes everything. This isn’t just about fees. It’s about restoring pride, building partnerships, and creating a career that feels good again.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/

In this LinkedIn Live replay, Ryan and Paul reveal how they transformed their recruitment businesses by shifting from contingent chaos to retained success, right in the middle of Japan’s notoriously tough talent market.

One hit his annual target by Valentine's Day.

The other landed a $700,000 single fee.

What changed? Everything.

Japan’s recruitment market is no walk in the cherry blossom park, with only 4% LinkedIn usage, a rapidly aging population, and a small pool of globally-minded, English-speaking candidates. Yet Ryan and Paul pushed past fear, self-doubt, and myths about retained work to build smarter, stronger businesses.

Key takeaways:

 - Both recruiters emphasized diagnostic skills as critical – deeply understanding client pain before proposing solutions 

- Moving to retained required overcoming mindset barriers like fear, lack of confidence, and misconceptions about the process

- Financial impact has been transformative - more predictable revenue, higher fees, and hitting annual targets faster

- Retained work provides better quality of life – being fully present at work and able to completely disconnect when not working

- Clients appreciate the structured process, with one telling Ryan: "I could sleep well at night knowing you had everything under control"

- The shift isn't about working harder but working smarter – "slowing down" to properly diagnose client needs before rushing to solutions

- For those considering the transition: specialize in a niche, be willing to say no to inappropriate work, and focus on proper diagnostics

Whether you're just starting your retained journey or looking to master it, this episode proves the shift isn’t about working harder, it’s about working wiser.

👉 Learn more at www.retrainedsearch.com

 Explore Search Foundations for recruiters ready to move to retained, and Search Mastery for those already winning consistent retained work.

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Want to know more about our retained search training? Talk to us: https://retrainedsearch.com/book-a-demo/

Check out our reviews: https://retrainedsearch.com/reviews/

Join our upcoming masterclasses: https://retrainedsearch.com/webinars/

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LinkedIn

Connect with Louise: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-archer-48612844/

Connect with Jordan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/retainedsearchcoach/

Follow Retrained Search: https://www.linkedin.com/company/retrained-search/