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

    MAR 31

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

    MAR 20

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

    FEB 24

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

    FEB 10

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

    JAN 27

    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

  6. JAN 13

    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

  7. 12/16/2025

    The Slow Death of Contingent Recruitment: Simon Lewis on Communities, Collaboration & 2026

    In the final episode of 2025, Louise sits down with RecConnect founder Simon Lewis to unpack what’s really coming for the recruitment industry in 2026 and why traditional contingent perm is on a slow, silent death march. Simon shares his unconventional journey from Sunday Times journalist to IT recruiter, to job board owner, to community builder for recruitment leaders. Drawing on conversations with hundreds of agency owners and economists, he explains why this moment is the most radical shift recruitment has seen in decades and why those clinging to “business as usual” are in trouble. They dive into: Why contingent perm is shrinking fast (and what will replace it)How retained, project and subscription models create space for real consultancyWhy human connection, not automation, will be your competitive edge in 2026The power of communities and shared experiences in transforming leaders, not just businessesOld-school tactics that are suddenly working again (think handwritten notes and real-life lunches)The one word Simon says should define your strategy next year: collaborationIf you’re a recruiter or recruitment leader wondering how to evolve, protect your margins and actually enjoy the next cycle, this episode is your roadmap. 🎧 Listen now, share it with a recruiter who needs a wake-up call for 2026, and hit subscribe so you don’t miss what’s coming next. ___ 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/

    45 min

  8. 11/25/2025

    Retainers Done Right: Why ‘Filling the Role’ Isn’t the Promise, But Success Is

    Fresh off a round-the-world sprint (and a brutal back recovery), Louise Archer and Jordan Taylor tackle the biggest myth in retained search: that taking a fee upfront means you’re guaranteeing a fill.  They reframe retained as a governed process that delivers certainty, not luck-especially on those “nightmare” briefs everyone avoids. You’ll hear the surgeon analogy that flips risk on its head, where retained doesn’t make sense, and the exact moves to close stalled projects without becoming a nag. Plus, real wins from the community-first retainers, repeat mandates, and pipelines built on trust, not chance-and a reminder to apply the same discipline to self-care as you do to delivery. You’ll learn: How to sell retained without promising an outcome you can’t controlThe delivery governance clients actually pay for (and how to show it)When to avoid retainers How to diagnose “do they really need this now?” and close stalled dealsWhy diligent recruiters who care win most in a retained modelThe mindset and self-care rituals that keep founders sharp and decisiveIf this episode hits home, share it with a recruiter who’s still gambling on contingent-and hit follow so you never miss the strategies that actually move the needle. ___ 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
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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
    61
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Retained Search Show
  • Show Website
    The Retained Search Show

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