The Art of Finding Hidden Talent – It’s More Than a Job Board

In our last post, Why You Should Hire for Potential, Not Just Experience, we explored the importance of looking beyond the CV.

This time, we’re turning our attention to the next critical stage in the hiring process: search and shortlisting. Because the way you find candidates matters a great deal.

One of the biggest differences between a traditional recruitment agency and a consultancy-led approach like ours is where (and how) the search begins.

Agencies rely on databases. We are sourcing specialists.

Many agencies still start by pulling candidates from their internal database or job board subscriptions. This means you’re often getting the “closest match available now” rather than the right person for the long-term.

At MDR Consultancy, we don’t rely on a static pool of candidates. We actively go to market, researching, mapping, and directly approaching people who may not be actively looking. Our approach enables us to uncover the people who are genuinely a cultural and strategic fit for your business, not just the ones who happen to be on the market this week.

It’s about fit, not first-come-first-served.

You can’t tell whether someone will thrive in your business just by matching their CV against a job description. Cultural fit, values, working style, stakeholder expectations, these things are nuanced.

They take time to understand.

That’s why our partnership approach is different. Before we even begin searching, we’ve already worked closely with you to understand where your business is today, where you’re heading, and what kind of people you need around you to help get there. This context underpins every step of our recruitment process.

We start each assignment with a detailed consultation and structured role analysis, defining what success really looks like for you and the business, going beyond a job spec.

From there, we speak directly with potential candidates, not to ‘sell’ them a job, but to genuinely explore alignment. We get to know them, to understand what motivates them and whether that lines up with your reality. We aren’t about persuading someone to jump ship, we’re about making sure the people we put forward belong there.

Good shortlisting is about asking better questions.

It’s not just about who you find – it’s about how you decide who makes the shortlist. Our approach involves thoughtful screening and behavioural insight, which helps eliminate bias and surface the people who might not ‘tick every box’ on paper, but have the right mix of mindset, values, and growth potential.

Too often, hiring decisions get rushed at this stage. Our role is to slow it down just enough to make it smarter.

Why this matters for you.

If you're an SME without an in-house HR or recruitment team, this stage of the process can be overwhelming. There’s pressure to fill the gap quickly, but also a fear of getting it wrong.

That’s exactly where consultancy recruitment comes into its own. We become an extension of your business, not just a CV service.

And whether you decide to work with us or not, our advice is this: make time to think beyond the job board. There is talent out there that won’t come to you. You need to go to them and you need to be intentional about who you’re looking for, and why.

Want to see how it works in practice?

If you’re currently recruiting, or even just planning ahead, we’d love to offer a short discovery call. We can talk through our search approach and give honest, useful advice – whether you decide to partner with us or keep the process in-house.

Click to book a chat, or call in the office. We’re always happy to help!

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