The Retained Search Show

Retrained Search
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This is the show for ambitious recruiters who want to win and deliver retained searches with confidence. Expect real stories, proven strategies, and insights you can actually use.

  1. 28 APR

    From Supplier to Trusted Partner: Why Most Recruiters Get It Wrong

    What does it actually mean to be a “trusted partner” in recruitment and why are so many getting it wrong? In this episode of Retained Search, Louise and Jordan unpack the shift from transactional recruitment to true partnership. They challenge the idea that volume equals trust and explain why those relationships are breaking under pressure from AI, changing client expectations, and cheaper access to candidates.  The conversation dives into the “bow tie” account model and what real integration with clients looks like. Not just filling roles, but connecting across functions, influencing decisions, and becoming part of how a business thinks about talent.  They also explore the skill most recruiters avoid: diagnosis. Why asking better questions changes everything. Why most recruiters jump to solutions too quickly. And how slowing down is the move that separates order-takers from advisors.  You’ll hear how shifting to retained search is less about selling retainers and more about learning how to think like a consultant. That means understanding problems at a deeper level, shaping solutions, and building relationships that don’t disappear when hiring slows down.  If you want to move beyond sending CVs and start influencing hiring decisions, this episode shows what needs to change and why it matters now more than ever. ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    38 min
  2. AI, Automation & The Death of Transactional Recruitment with Adrian Byra

    14 APR

    AI, Automation & The Death of Transactional Recruitment with Adrian Byra

    AI is transforming delivery. Client expectations are rising. And the traditional, transaction-based model is being quietly dismantled. In this episode, Adrian Byra shares a sharp, no-nonsense perspective on what’s really happening beneath the surface and what it means for recruitment business owners and search leaders. Adrian breaks down:  Why transactional recruitment is rapidly losing value What clients will actually pay for in the future How AI will compress fees and increase output Why agility (not size or brand) will define the winners  The 5-part support system behind scaling high-performing recruiters  Where most firms are getting AI wrong and wasting time and money  The critical choice every recruiter must make: AI or InfluencePerhaps most importantly, this conversation challenges a fundamental belief:  👉 That recruitment businesses win through specialization and scale. Instead, Adrian makes the case for a very different future - one built on:  Personal brand  Influence  Standardized excellence  And value beyond the hire ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    38 min
  3. How to Earn Trusted Advisor Status in Recruitment with Somer Hackley

    31 MAR

    How to Earn Trusted Advisor Status in Recruitment with Somer Hackley

    In this episode, Louise Archer speaks with Somer Hackley, CEO of Distinguished Search and author of Search in Plain Sight, about the real difference between transactional recruiting and true trusted advisory. Somer shares the pivotal story that changed her career: the moment she advised a client not to hire the only finalist left in process, despite months of work and huge pressure to close. That decision became the foundation of deeper trust, long-term partnership, and a completely different way of operating as a search consultant. Together, Louise and Somer unpack the mindset shift from contingent recruitment to retained search, including what changes in client relationships, candidate assessment, negotiation, shortlist strategy, and the confidence required to speak with real authority. They also explore why the best recruiters stop obsessing over “getting the deal over the line” and start focusing on transparency, rigor, expectation-setting, and preventing surprises. This is a rich conversation about voice, values, and what it really takes to become a trusted advisor in executive search. What you’ll hear in this episode:  The story that helped Somer find her voice with clients  Why trusted advisors sometimes have to say “don’t make the offer”  The difference between contingent and retained search mindset  How to assess candidates more rigorously and care for them more deeply  Why shortlists fail and how to use iteration more effectively  How to avoid endless searches by resetting expectations with clients  Why clients care less about process than values, judgment, and outcomes  What Somer’s book reveals about executive search from the insideYou can find more info about her book here: https://www.searchinplainsight.com/ ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    56 min
  4. Is This It? The Raw Truth About Money, Success, and Building a Meaningful Business with David Plummer

    20 MAR

    Is This It? The Raw Truth About Money, Success, and Building a Meaningful Business with David Plummer

    Is this what success is supposed to feel like? In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, David Plummer — founder of Triage — shares the lessons he learned after achieving everything he once thought he wanted. By his mid-20s, David had already built and sold a successful recruitment business. The cars, the houses, the financial freedom — he had climbed what he thought was the mountain of success. But standing at the top, he found himself asking a difficult question: “Is this it?” In this episode, David reflects on the difference between chasing success and building a life of meaning. From growing up believing he was poor, to becoming a young millionaire, to rebuilding a business decades later with his son — this conversation explores the deeper truths behind leadership, identity, and purpose. We discuss: • Why tying your identity to your business is dangerous  • The difference between building to sell and building something worth selling • Why culture — not strategy — created the value buyers saw in his company • What the 2008 financial crisis taught him about honesty and leadership • Why character matters more than competence when things get hard • And the question every founder should ask themselves: How will other people measure your life? This is one of the most emotional and thought-provoking conversations we’ve had on the podcast. If you’re a founder, recruiter, or leader chasing success — this episode might just change how you define it. ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    46 min
  5. From Traditional Exec Search to Multi‑Million Retained Deals with Blaine Daws

    24 FEB

    From Traditional Exec Search to Multi‑Million Retained Deals with Blaine Daws

    What if the process for hiring a data center technician isn’t so different from hiring a CEO? In this episode, we sit down with Blaine Daws, co‑founder of WNTD, to unpack how a specialist firm launched two weeks before lockdown and still went on to build multi‑million retained partnerships at the heart of AI infrastructure. The through‑line is sharp: act like an advisor, not an order taker, and anchor everything to outcomes your clients can measure. Blaine explains why many classical search firms miss the mark - global handoffs, legacy methods, and a reliance on brand over real market depth. He flips the script with SLAs tied to delivery (not meetings) and a discovery process that surfaces the real problem before proposing a solution. We dig into the questions that win trust fast: why the role exists, what’s failed so far, what competitors are paying, and what “good” looks like in a defined timeframe - plus the courage required to qualify out. Saying no to 70% of opportunities isn’t arrogance; it’s what protects outcomes and keeps focus on partners who value accountability. From the first retained win to a full build‑out, Blaine shows how organizational design unlocks scale: mapping the next 12–36 months of hiring, sequencing roles across regions and levels, and aligning diversity goals with the actual talent supply. We also break down the “engine” behind consistent delivery - specialist teams, evolving tools, certifications, and a tech stack that increases precision without diluting the human conversation. In a market where one hiring mistake can cost billions, this is how retained search earns its seat. You’ll leave with concrete takeaways on how to sell and deliver retained beyond the C‑suite, when to introduce SLAs, how to kill the “purple squirrel” with data, and how to turn a single search into a program without sliding into generic RPO. ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    52 min
  6. Personal Branding, Cold Calling & Cutting Through the Noise - with David Wolstenholme

    10 FEB

    Personal Branding, Cold Calling & Cutting Through the Noise - with David Wolstenholme

    Personal branding gets talked about a lot in recruitment but very few people explain what actually works… and what quietly destroys your credibility. In this episode of The Retained Search Show, we’re joined by David Wolstenholme, founder of BrandMeBetter and one of the earliest voices in personal branding for recruiters. We go deep on: Why personal branding is now a must, not a “nice to have”The biggest mistakes recruiters make on LinkedIn (including engagement pods 👀)Why most recruitment content fails to stand out and what the top 1% do differentlyHow strong personal brands actually support business development and retained searchThe real relationship between cold calling, branding, and trustWhere AI fits (and where it absolutely doesn’t)Why great recruitment hasn’t changed and never willThis is an honest, funny, occasionally brutal conversation about visibility, credibility, and how recruiters can stop blending in online and start being trusted before the first call even happens. If you’re serious about retained search, influence, and long-term client relationships, this one’s a must-listen. Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandmebetter/ ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    48 min
  7. Why Recruit CRM Gets 4.9 Stars: Customer Success, AI, and Scaling a Recruitment Business (with Sean Mallapurkar)

    27 JAN

    Why Recruit CRM Gets 4.9 Stars: Customer Success, AI, and Scaling a Recruitment Business (with Sean Mallapurkar)

    In this episode, Louise sits down with Sean Mallapurkar, Founder & CEO of Recruit CRM - one of the highest-rated ATS/CRM platforms in recruitment - to unpack what actually drives product love in a crowded market. Sean shares why most vendors obsess over features while overlooking the real differentiator: customer success and onboarding. We dig into how Recruit CRM built a sub-1-minute support experience (human response averaging ~40 seconds), how AI is now handling a large portion of support tickets, and why “built post-AI” is often more marketing than reality. We also zoom out into what Sean is seeing across markets (US, UK, Germany), why recruitment is increasingly splitting between automated/offshored delivery vs high-value retained work, and what it really means to move up the value chain. In this episode you’ll learn: Why customer success beats feature warfare in recruitment techHow AI is changing ATS workflows (and what’s hype)What’s happening in US/UK/EU recruitment markets right nowWhy the “move up the value chain” conversation matters more than everPractical ideas to reduce admin drag and scale delivery___ 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/ ___ 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/

    47 min

  8. 13 JAN

    Retained vs Executive Search: Why Interest Is Surging (and Many Recruiters Are Confused)

    Search interest in retained and executive search has exploded, but most recruiters still don’t really understand the difference. In this episode, we unpack: Why searches for retained and executive search have quadrupled and what’s driving the shiftThe real difference between retained search and executive searchWhy calling everything “executive search” can quietly kill opportunitiesWhat actually changes in delivery, assessment, and rigour at senior levelsHow recruiters are moving from contingent → retained → C-suite without burning bridges or blowing up their pipelineWhy trying to jump straight to six-figure mandates usually backfiresThe mindset, behaviours, and client conversations that unlock bigger fees over timeThis is an honest, experience-led conversation about what it really takes to move up the value chain without pretending to be something you’re not. If you’re a recruiter asking: “How do I win higher-value work?”“How do I break into executive search without faking it?”“Why does retained feel easier once you get it right?”…this episode is for you. 🎧 Subscribe, share with someone who needs to hear it, and start 2026 with a clearer path to bigger, better search work. ___ 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/ ___ 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/

    33 min
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About

This is the show for ambitious recruiters who want to win and deliver retained searches with confidence. Expect real stories, proven strategies, and insights you can actually use.

Information

  • Creator
    Retrained Search
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Retained Search Show
  • Show Website
    The Retained Search Show

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