What I Look for Before I Start a Search

Recruitment often looks as though it begins with finding candidates. For me, it starts earlier than that.

Before I begin a search, I want to understand what the company is really looking for, why the role exists, what success will look like, and the kind of person who is likely to work well in that particular team.

A job description gives me information. A good conversation gives me context. And that context can make all the difference between sending profiles and finding the right fit.

1. Why is this role being hired?

One of the first things I want to understand is why the role exists. Is the company growing? Is someone being replaced? Is the team building a new product or capability? Or has the role been difficult to fill?

The answer changes how I approach the search. It also helps me speak to candidates with much more context than simply repeating what is written in a job description.

2. What does the client really need?

Job descriptions often contain a long list of requirements, but not every requirement carries the same weight. I want to understand which skills and experience are genuinely essential, which are preferred, and where there is room for flexibility.

Sometimes a candidate may not match every line on paper but brings experience that solves the problem behind the hire. Understanding those priorities helps me look beyond keywords and focus on relevance.

3. What would make someone successful in this team?

Technical skills and experience matter, but they are only part of the picture. I also want to understand the environment the person will be joining. How does the team work? What does the manager value? How much independence will the person have? What kind of communication and collaboration does the role require?

Two candidates can look equally strong on paper and still be very different matches for the same team. Understanding the working environment helps me recognise that difference.

4. What will make the opportunity attractive to the right person?

A search is not only about what a company wants from a candidate. I also want to understand what the opportunity can genuinely offer in return, whether that is the work itself, the team, growth, responsibility, flexibility or the chance to build something meaningful.

Good candidates are making a decision too. The better I understand the opportunity, the more honestly and clearly I can represent it to the people I approach.

5. What does the search really look like in the market?

Once I understand the role, I also consider how realistic the expectations are in the talent market. The right combination of skills, experience, location, compensation and availability may be easy to find in one market and much harder in another.

This is especially important in remote and cross-border hiring. Sometimes the search confirms the original brief, and sometimes the market shows us where expectations may need to adjust. I believe that feedback is an important part of the recruiter's role.

Relevance before volume

For me, a good search isn't about producing the longest list of candidates. It's about understanding the brief well enough to know who is genuinely worth introducing.

Taking the time to ask the right questions at the beginning makes the search more focused, gives candidates a clearer picture of the opportunity, and ultimately gives both sides a better chance of making the right connection.

That understanding is where every good search should begin.