Talent Search Partners, Inc.

TALENT SEARCH PARTNERS, INC.

Menu

Leadership

Clarity

Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

Good leadership makes you feel safe by providing clarity, and confusion is an enemy to progression… Through no osmosis, I’ve identified the type of leader I don’t want to be, which is indirectly shaping the leader that I am becoming… My obsession with the topic of leadership was formed through my own personal experiences with it… Personally, my Wife is factual, and data driven. I am feelings/emotions driven… Admittedly, I’ve experienced the dangers of relying too much on emotions… This explains my affinity to emotional leaders over the years. There was common ground between us, and I felt safe around them… Interestingly enough, the leaders that I experienced the most difficulty with throughout my earlier years were deeply analytical & factual. How I treat people and the experience I endeavour to provide is the engine behind my approach to leadership… Self-awareness is the first step in this process… People follow you when you are clear of who you are, what you want, and where you desire to be… Any hint of ambiguity will compromise your position as a leader… Self-awareness allows good leaders to lead with clarity, and clarity builds a tent of safety around their followers… It’s an intentional and strategic process of self-discovery that only the courageous embark on… This is why feedback is necessary from those around us since we’re fundamentally blind to our own shortcomings… Those who solicit feedback from others and make the required adjustments become our best leaders and create environments that are safe for their followers. Over my 15 years as a Search Partner, I’ve had countless conversations with leaders from all walks of life. Through this journey, I’ve concluded that leadership and recruitment are interconnected. They’re so closely tied to each other that when one is in a delinquent state, it negatively impacts the other. Recruitment provides the people who are then coached, mentored, and directed by leaders. In light of this, I’m deeply invested in the development of our leaders to make sure that I am truly doing people a good service… Recruiters who have reduced themselves to just ‘resume pushers’ have diminished their own value in the marketplace… Let’s grow your business, together.

Clarity Read More »

Forget Ethics, We’re Hurting The Marketplace By Not Giving People Feedback

Employer Insight, Ghosting, Human Resources, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

Ghosting was the unofficial theme for 2025… We can all agree that no one deserves to be left in the dark… Human decency dictates that everyone is worthy of being told how an interview or meeting went… This new anti-ghosting legislation coming into effect in 2026 is being received with some pessimism, with some believing that it will offer no real value to someone who could use such feedback from an employer as a catalyst for self-reflection & self-improvement… To fulfill his mandatory media obligations and avoid fines, Marshawn Lynch aka “Beast Mode” of the Seattle Seahawks took part in a memorable media day press conference in 2015. He was quoted as repeatedly saying – “I’m here so I won’t get fined” … “I’m here so I won’t get fined” … “I’m here so I won’t get fined”… Check out the official clip here – https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tF7nQibuWjA I’m afraid that many decision makers will only comply with this new law just so they won’t get fined, meeting base standards with the absolute least amount of effort… Cue the rise of automated (generic) responses that job seekers can expect to receive as a result of this new bill – “After careful consideration…” My major concern however is how such feedback will negatively impact our quality of talent, unemployment, and productivity within the work environment. Anyone who has ever written a persuasive essay in grade school is familiar with their professor’s infamous red pen… Those who struggled with persuasive writing are quite accustomed to seeing their papers returned covered in red ink… While disheartening, your professor’s red pen was a sign of mercy and redemption… You were usually given a chance to review the comments with your professor, make the necessary corrections, and re-submit your paper. The process could take 2 or 3 revisions, but in the end, you usually ended up with a better grade had you not taken those steps… This process of self-editing based on constructive qualitative feedback produced a better grade & student in the end… Let’s not forget the importance of feedback that allows someone to make the necessary adjustments and how that can positively impact their future… By not providing job seekers with this sort of information, we are allowing them to proceed through the marketplace at a disadvantage, thereby diminishing the quality of their interactions with companies, which will result in more widespread frustration from both sides… As a Search Partner with 15 years in the recruitment industry, I’ve had countless candidates ask for feedback after their interviews no matter how negative it was… They viewed feedback as a way of measuring their growth… So, if we are going to mandate that decision makers provide feedback to applicants as part of an anti-ghosting initiative, let’s double click to make sure that the feedback is specific, thoughtful, & honest… We owe it to our society to ensure that we are positioning our best for long-term success.

Forget Ethics, We’re Hurting The Marketplace By Not Giving People Feedback Read More »

I Gave Up Speed Dating To Scale My Business

Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

For those who are familiar with speed dating or old enough to remember it during its rise, think of a pressurized room filled with enthusiastic single people searching for companionship under strict time constraints. As you move from table to table, person to person, you quickly begin to realize what works for you and what doesn’t. Those conversations, while brief, can convey a lot about you to the other person and vice versa. There’s hardly enough time to form an organic connection with someone, but many turn to it to increase their odds of ending the year in a relationship… It’s timed due to the number of attendees with the purpose being to give everyone a chance to make an introduction. If a connection is made, you can opt to pull out with that person or you can proceed to the next table. The time constraint can be a friendly ally to someone who is completely disinterested or uncomfortable with the person they’re seated with… This year marked my 15th year in recruitment, and like many, I was introduced to it in the conventional transactional manner. Need a body? Here you go! Send the cheque! There was no time to build a real partnership with a company because it was on to the next decision maker with a need, and you kept doing that until you felt completely burnt out at the end of the day… Many prefer this approach because it gives them an easy exit if feelings about a search or company change, or it’s looking like your effort is not going to materialize into a placement… Granted, it’s a thrill at times to engage in these scavenger hunt activities to fill a position, racing to beat your competition and collect a fee payout. Many have done quite well under this model… The pivot for me came once I realized the value and importance of time. I was still newly married, and my second child was here. My Wife was the primary caregiver to our kids, and I vowed to take care of them… …something had to change. Personally, working in this way contradicted the very essence of who I am as a human being. I’ll take one meaningful relationship over 5 or 6 open-ended connections with no real value add for either side. I was speed dating my way through the industry. I was having conversations with a lot of people, but hardly establishing anything that was sustainable with repeatable business, and lasting value. I was waiting for that bell to ring or that cheque to clear, and on to the next. What’s interesting is that I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t transactional, yet my fruit declared differently. I operated unethically, not because I was unethical, but because of the pressure I was under to produce. You pounced all over a client request because you never knew if or when the next one would come knocking. The rollercoaster of emotions coupled with financial unpredictability forced me to double click on what I wanted from a career in recruitment, and how I wanted to be remembered. Did I want to be just another guy at a table in a crowded room, or a strategic partner with a permanent seat at the table? There’s a difference. Cue the transformation to what has now become a search boutique predicated on delivering tangible results (not just lip-service) to people. We’re still driven by numbers to remain in business, but we don’t treat people like numbers… If you’re at a similar place professionally, reach out to me directly. I would enjoy hearing your story… For the past 15 years, I’ve facilitated placements within engineering and technology, with a focus of late on improving outcomes for organizations through better leadership… There’s a better way to grow your business… …let’s explore this together.

I Gave Up Speed Dating To Scale My Business Read More »

99% Of You Are Prompting That Recruiter Wrong

Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, Recruitment /

I learned today that most people don’t know how to properly prompt their AI – 99% to be exact. Essentially, AI is only as productive as the quality of the prompts it receives from the user… Interesting… We dictate to AI the role we’d like it to play, what we’d like done, how we’d like it done, and you can even provide context/background to increase accuracy… When I heard this today, I immediately thought of the recruitment profession. Specifically, the degree of frustration that many are feeling towards recruiters… The bad recruiters should be held accountable! They’re not only leaving a trail of casualties, but they’re compromising the integrity of what we do as recruiters. Perhaps guardrails need to be imposed around the profession to limit the entrance of any and everyone… Unlikely to happen realistically… …but what if those who have been engaged by a recruiter or wish to engage themselves could manipulate the interaction to some degree in the same manner we would with AI? What if there was a way to prompt that recruiter to ensure optimal results? If we can prompt a machine, then certainly we can prompt a human! Of course there are nuances that we’d need to consider, but in theory, what I’m proposing is fundamental… Too many of us take whatever a recruiter says without questioning them or their legitimacy. They request, we provide. They ask, we answer. They share, we accept as the truth. They no-show, we complain. Rinse and repeat. Let’s break down this recruiter prompt theory, and leave your comments below if you agree or disagree with this post… If effectively prompting AI results in desired outcomes and better experiences, and the act of prompting is merely telling the machine what you want from it in order to keep engaging with it, then perhaps my thesis is not entirely senseless… So, how would one prompt a recruiter to improve the chances of a successful outcome, which would increase the odds of usage again in the future? The answer lies in the quality of the communication. Whenever I’m contacted by a job seeker who has recently entered the marketplace, I can quickly glean the caliber of that professional by their initial outreach, which is generally an introduction outlining what they desire from their next opportunity. This usually takes the form of title/seniority, location preferences, headcount responsibilities if a leader, remote/hybrid, and of course, money – i.e., what they desire to earn… All good variables to consider when you’re exploring a career move/change (I can also tell if that message has been sent to 100 different recruiters. Some even forget to bcc:)… The average recruiter will receive this sort of message and do 2 things with it: What if there was a better way to engage that recruiter, increase your chances of being considered for a real opportunity, go through real meetings with their client, actually receive feedback after every interaction, receive a good offer, and get hired? What if the variable that could lead to the above happening more often than not rested in the quality of the prompting? Let’s explore an example of an effective prompt scenario with a recruiter you’ve never worked with: Hi Shawn, My name is John Smith. Your LinkedIn profile indicates that you’re in the recruitment space and have been in the industry for 10 years now. It wasn’t clear from current and past roles the industries you serve, but a quick look at your corporate site disclosed that your company has client’s in the pharmaceutical, nuclear, and manufacturing sectors. I also noticed through some of your recommendations that some senior professionals within engineering have endorsed your work, suggesting that you’re quite connected in my field of expertise. I’m a licensed professional engineer within Ontario, and I’ve spent the last 20 years helping manufacturers within the defence space deliver highly engineered and technologically advanced armoured vehicles to their customers. I was recently featured in the attached article for my work on a new autonomous vehicle, slated to hit the market in Q1 2026. Having completed this project, I am now looking for a new challenge, and I’m selectively reaching out to professionals in your area who can support me on this journey. My last 2 projects were delivered underbudget and earlier than what we quoted to our customer, and I was at the forefront of all design activities. There was a team of 10 people under my coaching, 2 of which went on to receive promotions within the company, and a 3rd being groomed for leadership as we speak. Before we discuss any further, I’d like to know if I represent the type of professional you typically work with and have had success placing into meaningful positions? Secondly, if I am, I’d like to know more about you and your practices and how you typically go to market with someone of my caliber. I’ll only provide a resume after we’ve established this as a mutually beneficial relationship, and you actually have clients with goals that I can help accomplish. I’d also like to express that since I am presently employed, I expect utmost confidentiality. If this makes sense, please reach out via mobile or email, both listed below. Thanks, Shawn. John It’s lengthy, but let’s dissect this… Firstly, you quickly establish credibility with someone you don’t know when your outreach demonstrates that you actually did your research. John visited Shawn’s profile, actually read it, and cross-referenced with the company site for specific details not mentioned on LinkedIn. Secondly, his introduction focused on tangible accomplishments, not a wish list. John provided details into his work, referenced a link to support his claims, and offered good information into how the company and the team benefited from his presence. Lastly, he protected the integrity of his outreach by withholding any further documentation or information, (i.e., resume) until he felt comfortable that Shawn was interested in working with him and could in fact represent his candidacy in the marketplace.

99% Of You Are Prompting That Recruiter Wrong Read More »

A Slap On The Wrist (New Anti-Ghosting Legislation)

Ghosting, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

EMPLOYERS, you can now be fined it you do not provide feedback to a candidate you’ve interviewed within 45 days. This is new legislation as part of a reform to our employment standards in Ontario. This will come into effect January 2026…happy new year! Great news, right!? I wish I could rejoice with everyone in the marketplace… I guess strong-arming an employer to act ethically could be considered a win, but there’s still a lot of work to do… Fines are like placing a band-aid on a muscle ache. We’re simply covering the issue without really addressing the source of the problem… Does a candidate deserve to be informed about the outcome of their interview? Absolutely. Do I believe decision makers & candidates should be held accountable? Absolutely. I wish it were that simple to make ghosting disappear by throwing money at it, but it bothers me that such a fundamental act is not being practiced in the first place. We’ve concluded that financially penalizing the offenders will somehow improve the state of the marketplace and make our economy stronger. Those of us who have had to punish our children without addressing the error and conveying best practices going forward, know that it’s probable for that child to engage in the same actions in the near future. Penalties without outlining clear steps towards rehabilitation are short-lived… We’ve also seen examples of those with enough financial backing to circumvent penalties to protect their own interests. Sadly, this is nothing new. Every decision maker needs to ask themselves the following question: 👉 What is our vision statement for how we’d like to be perceived in our marketplace? A sober answer to this question will eradicate the possibility of ghosting anyone. Your competitive advantage is directly tied to the experience you provide to people, and one bad experience can derail your entire business model. Respecting people should be foundational, not a forced act by way of a penalty. Poor business etiquette has penetrated our leadership ranks. We’ve lost the art as leaders to communicate bad news to people, choosing to hide behind emails or not communicating at all. “Anything you can do, I can do better” has become a theme song for many who take part in the hiring process. Recruiters are ghosting candidates, candidates are ghosting recruiters, decision makers are ghosting recruiters & candidates, and so forth… Proving that I can “out ghost you” has become a thing, leaving casualties along the way and a fractured hiring process that will force our best and brightest to search for greener pastures in neighbouring economies. A poor reputation spreads like a wild fire, and fines are masking the real issue. Treating people well will cost you nothing – this is precisely why GOOD LEADERSHIP matters.

A Slap On The Wrist (New Anti-Ghosting Legislation) Read More »

The Red Carpet Experience

Career Insight, Human Resources, Leadership, Recruitment /

Cue the traditional scenario: it’s Friday afternoon, and your best employee walks into your office before the weekend: EMPLOYEE: I’m here to resign from my position EMPLOYER: This is troubling and terrible timing. Is there anything I can do to change your mind? How much have they offered you? I’ll match it right now! I’ve kept it brief for the sake of LinkedIn… Accepting a counteroffer might seem attractive in the moment, especially if your reasons for leaving in the first place were not iron-clad. I’d like to caution anyone who is on the verge of handing in their resignation to remain firm on their stance. Don’t allow promises or more money to derail all of the work it took to get to that point… Accepting a counter offer can have an adverse effect on your career. Here’s why: The most obvious impact is that you’re now marked by your employer as that disloyal employee who tried to leave once. Don’t expect a red carpet to your next raise or promotion within the company. Hidden however, and more important is your ability to navigate the outside marketplace. By accepting a counteroffer that is $10,000 or 20,000 more than what you were prepared to accept from the other company, you’ve now misaligned yourself in your marketplace. If the median salary for a Project Manager in the Biomedical industry is $130,000, your offer from the other company was $145,000, and your current company has countered at $155,000, then you’re now $25,000 over the market value for your position. If you decide to leave or are laid off, it will be difficult to negotiate your way to the salary you left behind and what you’ve become accustomed to making. No one ever wants to accept a lower salary, even in a desperate market. We end up creating an artificial bubble in the marketplace that no longer relies on market data & research but is now predicated entirely on our feelings about what we think we’re worth. This is usually skewed based on scenarios like what I described above. THE SOLUTION FOR LEADERS: treat people well enough in the first place so another company won’t have a runway to steal them away from you THE SOLUTION FOR EMPLOYEES: stick to your original decision to leave as a way of protecting your career trajectory and its integrity

The Red Carpet Experience Read More »

LAYING PEOPLE OFF IS A COP OUT

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership /

Of all the expenses you could slash within an organization during financial instability, you chose the human! Firstly, if you think of your people as expenses, then you’re in the wrong business… When someone says that layoffs are a mandatory measure towards becoming leaner/stronger or represent a pivot into something new, what I really hear is someone who cannot be bothered to lead during a period of change… It’s more desirable to manage the integration of new technologies than it is to lead people, especially those who might be underperforming…(the true measure of leadership)… Similarly, tolerating a poor performer versus taking action to remedy the situation is just as bad… Have employees allowed themselves to become dispensable or are leaders responsible for creating widespread redundancy that they now condemn and are taking measures to get rid of? Have we consciously (or unconsciously) put people into positions that leverages a small fraction of their entire skill set, thereby leading to monotony, which leads to burnout, which leads to employer frustration, & ultimately mass layoffs… Cue the solution – robots… “We are simply embracing the future with hopes of competing” – says every modern day CEO… What we’re really fostering is a business world driven by fear and insecurity. Employees don’t trust their leadership to prioritize them during a downturn or change, and employers have strategically commoditized their people thereby making it easy to cut ties with them… Is the onus on employees to fight to remain relevant or is it on employers to lead with more compassion? Why can’t we have a balance? An equilibrium that promotes employee accountability and leaders who care!

LAYING PEOPLE OFF IS A COP OUT Read More »

You’re Never Alone As A Leader

Inspiration, Leadership /

Good leadership doesn’t always translate to a multitude of followers. In fact, there are times when you’ll stand alone… Well, not completely alone. Your convictions are right there beside you… Your decisions will not always please the majority, but compromising will keep you up at night in deep regret… I’d rather enjoy peaceful sleep… Strive to please everyone, while remaining conscious that you will never please everyone. Even on your best day, you’ll come up short… This revelation isn’t meant to discourage effort… In fact, it should motivate you to perform at your daily best… Good leadership does not take days off and it can never be persuaded to abandon its mission… It’s resilient and driven entirely by Love… That still small Voice is always right – a soft answer really does pacify anger… Try it.

You’re Never Alone As A Leader Read More »

Retained Is The New Predictable

Career Insight, Employer Insight, Leadership, Recruitment /

There are a lot of trust issues in the current marketplace. Much of it is justified… There’s also A LOT of information from experts and people who are well-intentioned circulating… Poor experiences, coupled with advice from every angle have made the current marketplace stressful to navigate through. I’ve been privileged to work in a profession that I love for 15 years… As such, there are best practices that I try to disclose to anyone who will listen. Key word being “listen.” It’s ultimately your decision, but as someone once said, “knowing is half the battle.” Whether you’re a job seeker, employed, unemployed, or underemployed, there is a standard that you should expect from everyone in the Talent Acquisition business… Cue the typical email from a Recruiter: Hello – our client, a global entity and leader in the pharmaceutical sector, is looking to hire a new Director of People. We have an older resume of yours in our database, and I was wondering if you would be interested in hearing about this exciting opportunity. Please respond to this email with an updated resume. There are many things wrong with this email, but my primary concern is the lack of trust that it conveys to a top prospect. Who is your client, and why is that a secret? I’m amazed that this approach worked for as long as it did. Why would anyone take a call from a recruiter who they don’t know, listen to what they have to say, share personal things about their background & personal life, disclose what they are earning and would like to make, and agree to update a resume that they haven’t touched in 10 years, all without knowing who your customer is? Many recruiters do not have legitimate contracts or relationships with these companies and therefore can offer little to no direction or insight into the opportunity. Hence the reason why you often don’t hear from them after you’ve submitted your resume. These companies are not getting back to them, so how can they get back to you? Without a real relationship, expect to be ghosted. Your question to that recruiter before you agree to do anything should be: “Can you please describe the nature of your relationship with the company you are representing? Have you been contractually retained to handle this search?” Side bar – being retained doesn’t necessarily mean that a recruiter won’t operate transactionally, but if their customer is treating them seriously, then it’s predictable that they will treat you in the same manner… Qualify that recruiter before they qualify you. Call me crazy, but I’d only entertain an introduction that sounded similar to the following: Hello, Jane – under my current contract with XYZ Plastics, I’ve been asked by the President of the company to identify a new Director of People to help them bolster their HR division. You’ve been identified as a person of interest by the President, and he is interested in speaking with you. I’m here to mediate those discussions. Is this worth a closer look? Or Hello, Jane – you’ve been identified as a top prospect by our organization. Confidentially, we are handling XYZ Plastics’ search spearheaded by the CEO for a new HR executive. I’m here to mediate those discussions. Is this worth a closer look? I hope this tip helps you to weed through the noise in the marketplace and positions you closer to your next opportunity.

Retained Is The New Predictable Read More »

How Could He Resign With Our Company Swag?!

Employer Insight, Human Resources, Leadership, Recruitment /

A good onboarding experience is vital to ensuring that a new hire stays beyond their first year. Too many relationships have failed within the first 365 days post hire due to a bad first impression. Let me first state that everyone is well-intentioned. It is not my thesis that a leader within an organization sets out to create a negative experience for a new employee. The reality is that too many new hires are left with more questions than clarity after their onboarding/orientation period. Despite the excitement communicated about the role during the interviews, chemistry, & position fit, none of that matters if the welcome committee is not in one accord, moving with purpose to create a clear, and pleasant experience for their newest hire. When a new hire’s onboarding experience feels more like a “by the way” task or a checklist item, they may not physically quit in the moment, but they’ll remember how they felt. It will also speak volumes to them about the quality of the company. “I wonder how they treat their tenured employees?” Now, empathy dictates that those who are responsible for the onboarding activities (HR/Hiring Manager) are busy with equally important tasks that require their immediate and focused attention. Empathy dictates that people get sick, teams are understaffed, members are going through personal circumstances outside of work or are juggling too many tasks at once. These are realities that we all face. Too things are important to winning the war for talent: People want to feel prioritized. They want validation that everything they heard in the interview process is true. They want to be assured that they made the right decision by taking your offer and not a competing organization’s offer. They want to know that they are not walking into a dysfunctional environment with no clear direction. Here are the priorities (by priority): A supported and collective onboarding experience is a great way to strengthen retention. It also creates a referral funnel for people who that employee knows (word of mouth still exists). Let’s stop dropping the ball – the experience still matters.

How Could He Resign With Our Company Swag?! Read More »