This Executive Search Software and Executive Search CRM FAQ answers the most common questions about Talentis, including candidate sourcing, passive candidates, executive search workflows, AI functionality, data privacy, CRM capabilities, and platform comparisons.
Executive search software is specialized recruiting technology designed to help executive recruiters identify, engage, manage, and place senior-level talent.
Unlike traditional recruitment software, executive search software focuses on passive candidate sourcing, relationship management, market mapping, and retained search workflows.
Talentis combines executive search software, executive search CRM functionality, and AI-powered candidate sourcing in a single platform.
An executive search CRM is software designed to help executive search firms manage relationships with candidates, clients, referral sources, and industry contacts.
Unlike traditional recruitment databases, modern executive search CRM platforms combine relationship management, candidate sourcing, assignment management, and reporting tools in a single system.
Talentis combines executive search CRM and executive search software functionality, helping recruiters build stronger relationships and deliver more effective search assignments.
Executive search software is specialized recruiting technology designed to help executive search firms identify, engage, manage, and place senior-level talent.
Unlike traditional recruitment software and applicant tracking systems (ATS), executive search software focuses on passive candidate sourcing, relationship management, market mapping, executive search CRM workflows, and retained search assignments.
Recruitment software is typically designed to manage active job seekers and applicants who respond to job advertisements.
Executive search software supports a research-led approach to hiring, helping recruiters identify the best candidates for a role – including passive candidates who may not be actively seeking a new opportunity.
Talentis combines executive search software and executive search CRM functionality in a single platform, helping recruiters source passive candidates, manage relationships, and deliver executive search assignments more effectively
Examples of executive search software would be Talentis or FileFinder, while an example of recruitment software would be Voyager Infinity.
An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is designed primarily to manage active job applicants.
An executive search CRM is designed to help recruiters identify, engage, and manage passive candidates, clients, and long-term relationships.
Executive search firms often require both candidate sourcing and relationship management capabilities, which is why Talentis combines executive search CRM and executive search software functionality in one platform.
A passive candidate is someone who is not actively looking for a new job but may be willing to consider the right opportunity if approached.
When organizations hire for executive, leadership, or other strategic roles, they typically want access to the broadest possible talent pool. Active job seekers represent only a small portion of the available market.
Many of the strongest candidates are passive candidates. They are successful in their current roles, may not be looking at job boards, and are unlikely to apply for advertised positions. However, they may be open to discussing a compelling career opportunity.
This is why executive search firms use executive search software and executive search CRM tools to identify, research, engage, and build relationships with passive candidates.
Unlike many traditional executive search software platforms, Talentis does not start with an empty database.
Talentis combines executive search software and executive search CRM functionality with access to a TalentGraph containing hundreds of millions of professional profiles, allowing recruiters to start sourcing candidates immediately with minimal data entry.
The platform is designed to help executive recruiters identify passive candidates, conduct research, manage relationships, and deliver executive search assignments more efficiently.
Talentis also combines candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, relationship management, assignment tracking, and reporting tools within a single cloud-based platform.
As a result, executive search firms can get up and running faster, dramatically reduce administrative effort, and accelerate time to value by as much as 90%.
Yes.
Unlike many traditional executive search CRM systems, Talentis includes candidate sourcing functionality as part of the platform.
Users can search hundreds of millions of professional profiles, identify passive candidates, and manage the entire search process from within a single system.
Yes.
Talentis is a fully featured executive search CRM and executive search software platform designed for executive search firms, retained search consultants, in-house executive talent acquisition teams, and private equity firms.
The platform supports the entire executive search process, including:
● Candidate research and sourcing
● Passive candidate identification
● Relationship management
● Client and candidate engagement
● Business development
● Executive search assignment management
● Reporting and collaboration
● Talent pipeline management
Unlike standalone applicant tracking systems, Talentis combines executive search CRM functionality, candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, and assignment management within a single cloud-based platform.
This enables executive recruiters to manage the complete search lifecycle, from identifying passive candidates and building longlists through to shortlisting, placement, and ongoing relationship management.
Yes.
Talentis includes built-in integrations with both OpenAI and Sonar (Perplexity), with AI functionality available as part of the standard platform.
AI is used throughout the platform to help executive recruiters work more efficiently, particularly when sourcing passive candidates, conducting research, and producing executive search reports.
For example, recruiters can describe an ideal candidate in natural language, and AI can help generate highly targeted searches using the platform’s unique executive search filters.
By combining AI-powered research with executive search CRM functionality, candidate sourcing, and relationship management, Talentis helps recruiters identify relevant candidates more quickly and uncover executive talent that might otherwise be overlooked.
In many cases, yes.
Talentis helps executive recruiters identify passive candidates from across the web, including candidates who may be difficult to find through LinkedIn alone. By combining candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, executive search CRM functionality, and access to the TalentGraph, Talentis provides a broader view of the executive talent market.
Many executive search firms use Talentis as an alternative to, or alongside, LinkedIn Recruiter. In some cases, clients reduce or eliminate LinkedIn Recruiter subscriptions after adopting Talentis.
Unlike LinkedIn Recruiter, Talentis combines candidate sourcing, relationship management, assignment tracking, reporting, and executive search CRM capabilities within a single platform, helping recruiters manage the entire executive search process from initial research through to placement.
The best approach depends on your search methodology, target market, and existing technology stack, but many firms find that Talentis enables them to source executive talent more effectively while reducing their reliance on LinkedIn Recruiter.
No.
Talentis does not require a LinkedIn Recruiter subscription in order to source, research, and manage candidates.
Unlike tools that rely primarily on LinkedIn data, Talentis helps executive recruiters identify passive candidates from across the web using the TalentGraph, which brings together information from hundreds of millions of professional profiles and public sources.
Many Talentis clients use the platform as a complete alternative to LinkedIn Recruiter, while others use the two products alongside one another as part of a broader sourcing strategy.
Because Talentis combines candidate sourcing, executive search CRM functionality, AI-powered research, relationship management, and assignment tracking in a single platform, firms can reduce their dependence on LinkedIn Recruiter while still identifying highly relevant executive talent.
The best approach depends on your search methodology and target market, but Talentis is designed to help executive search firms source candidates effectively regardless of whether they have a LinkedIn Recruiter subscription.
The TalentGraph is the Talentis data layer that helps recruiters access and organize information about millions of professionals and organizations.
Built from publicly available sources, it helps executive recruiters identify candidates, research executive talent, and reduce the need for manual data entry.
The Talentis TalentGraph is designed differently from a traditional recruitment database.
Rather than storing large amounts of proprietary candidate information, the TalentGraph acts as an index of publicly available professional profiles, helping executive recruiters quickly locate the most relevant and up-to-date information about executives and organizations wherever it exists online.
You can think of the TalentGraph as being similar to a search engine, but one focused specifically on people, companies, and executive talent.
Our approach is designed to help executive search firms access current information directly from publicly available sources, rather than relying on manually maintained records that can quickly become outdated.
The information surfaced through the TalentGraph is collected from publicly available sources and may include:
1. Name
2. Employment information
3. Profile photograph
4. Associated public URLs
5. Company information, such as industry and organization size
This information is sourced from a combination of publicly available data, trusted third-party providers, and information collected or refreshed through the Talentis Chrome Extension.
By combining executive search software, executive search CRM functionality, and continuously refreshed public information, Talentis helps recruiters access relevant candidate intelligence while reducing the need for manual data maintenance.
Absolutely not.
Talentis does not share confidential or proprietary information between clients.
The only information shared within the TalentGraph is publicly available information about people and organizations. Talentis maintains and refreshes this public information on behalf of all users to help support candidate research and sourcing.
Any information added by your firm – including candidate notes, client information, relationship history, search assignment details, communications, documents, and recruiter intelligence – remains private to your organization and is accessible only to authorized users within your firm.
This approach allows executive search firms to benefit from continually refreshed public data while maintaining complete control over their own proprietary relationships, knowledge, and executive search workflows.
Talentis does not store, maintain, or share personal contact information such as email addresses or telephone numbers within the TalentGraph.
However, Talentis integrates with a third-party contact data provider that can supply email addresses and phone numbers for more than 800 million professionals, subject to the provider’s coverage and data availability.
When users choose to obtain contact information, it is sourced directly from the third-party provider. Talentis does not store this information within the TalentGraph and does not have access to the contact data supplied to users.
This approach allows executive recruiters to access contact information when required while keeping the TalentGraph focused on public professional profile data and candidate intelligence.
Talentis is used by executive search firms, retained search consultants, in-house executive talent acquisition teams, private equity firms, and specialist recruiters involved in leadership hiring.
The platform is particularly popular with organizations that need to identify and engage passive candidates.
Yes.
Talentis is designed to support retained executive search assignments from initial research through to placement and ongoing relationship management.
The platform combines candidate sourcing, executive search CRM functionality, assignment management, reporting, and collaboration tools in a single system, helping recruiters manage every stage of a retained search engagement.
Executive recruiters can identify passive candidates, build and manage longlists and shortlists, track client and candidate interactions, manage project milestones, and produce client-ready reports without switching between multiple applications.
Many of Talentis’ features – including AI-powered sourcing, relationship intelligence, candidate research tools, and integrated reporting – were developed specifically to support the workflows used by executive search firms and retained search consultants.
Whether you are conducting a board search, leadership hire, succession planning project, or other retained executive search assignment, Talentis provides the tools needed to manage the entire search process efficiently and professionally.
Yes.
While Talentis was originally designed for executive search firms, it can also be used by in-house executive talent acquisition teams, corporate recruiting functions, and leadership hiring teams.
Organizations use Talentis to identify and engage passive candidates for senior leadership, board-level, and other strategically important positions where traditional recruitment approaches may not deliver access to the strongest talent pool.
Talentis combines candidate sourcing, executive search CRM functionality, relationship management, AI-powered research, and assignment tracking in a single platform, helping internal hiring teams manage executive search projects more effectively.
The platform is particularly valuable for organizations that want to build executive talent pipelines, undertake market mapping, support succession planning initiatives, or reduce their reliance on external search firms.
Whether you are hiring for C-suite positions, functional leadership roles, board appointments, or other senior appointments, Talentis provides the tools needed to identify, assess, engage, and manage executive talent throughout the search process.
Talentis is particularly well suited to boutique executive search firms and smaller recruiting organizations.
In fact, many of our clients are executive search firms with between 1 and 50 users, ranging from solo practitioners and specialist boutiques to growing search businesses.
Because Talentis combines executive search CRM functionality, candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, and assignment management in a single platform, smaller firms can access capabilities that would traditionally require multiple separate systems.
The platform is easy to deploy, requires minimal data entry, and is available via flexible SaaS subscriptions, making it an attractive option for firms that want enterprise-level functionality without enterprise-level complexity.
That said, there is no single “best” executive search software for every firm. The right solution depends on your workflow, search methodology, growth plans, and technology requirements. We encourage firms to evaluate multiple platforms and see which best fits their needs.
Absolutely.
Talentis is used by executive search firms and talent acquisition teams operating across multiple countries and regions.
As a cloud-based executive search CRM and executive search software platform, Talentis enables recruiters to collaborate from anywhere while maintaining a single, shared view of candidates, clients, assignments, and relationships.
The platform includes support for multiple time zones, GDPR compliance requirements, and multilingual environments, helping firms operate effectively across international markets.
Whether your team works from a single office or across multiple countries, Talentis is designed to support global executive search workflows and cross-border collaboration.
Yes.
Talentis provides migration services to help executive search firms move from existing executive search CRM, recruitment CRM, ATS, and database platforms with minimal disruption.
We can import data from a wide range of sources, including legacy executive search CRM systems, spreadsheets and CSV files, existing databases, and even LinkedIn Connections.
Where appropriate, we can also enrich imported records using the TalentGraph, helping firms improve the quality, completeness, and usefulness of candidate and company information following migration.
Our goal is to make the transition as straightforward as possible, allowing recruiters to retain valuable relationship history, candidate information, and recruiter intelligence while benefiting from the capabilities of a modern executive search CRM and executive search software platform.
Yes.
Talentis is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, which helps new users become productive quickly. However, we recognize that every executive search firm has its own processes and workflows.
To help teams get the most from the platform, we provide regular free training webinars covering executive search CRM functionality, candidate sourcing, reporting, and best practices.
We also offer dedicated training sessions for firms that would like personalized onboarding or tailored guidance for their team.
Our goal is to ensure that recruiters can confidently use Talentis to source passive candidates, manage relationships, and deliver executive search assignments as effectively as possible.
Talentis is a fully cloud-based executive search CRM and executive search software platform that runs directly in your web browser.
The Talentis Chrome Extension requires a modern Chromium-based browser, with Google Chrome recommended for the best experience.
No additional software installation is required. The Talentis web application works on Windows and Mac computers and can also be accessed from mobile devices, allowing recruiters to work from anywhere with an internet connection.
Because Talentis is delivered as a true SaaS platform, users automatically benefit from ongoing updates, new features, and enhancements without the need for manual upgrades or maintenance.
Yes.
Talentis is a fully cloud-based executive search CRM and executive search software platform delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution.
Users can securely access Talentis from anywhere with an internet connection, without the need to install, maintain, or upgrade software locally. The platform is designed to support individual recruiters, boutique executive search firms, and global search teams alike.
Because Talentis is a true SaaS platform, all users benefit from ongoing updates, new features, security enhancements, and platform improvements automatically.
This allows executive recruiters to focus on sourcing passive candidates, managing relationships, and delivering executive search assignments rather than managing IT infrastructure.
Talentis is based in Europe and operates in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
TalentGraph uses publicly available professional information and processes personal data on the basis of Legitimate Interest, as permitted under GDPR. Further details are available in the Talentis Privacy Policy.
We take data protection and privacy seriously and have implemented processes and controls designed to support compliance with GDPR and other relevant privacy regulations, including applicable US state privacy laws such as the CCPA.
In addition, Talentis provides mechanisms that allow individuals to exercise their privacy rights, including the ability to request access to, correction of, or deletion of information where applicable.
Data protection is an important part of our business, and members of our leadership team have formal data protection and GDPR expertise.
Yes.
If an individual wishes to have their information removed from the Talentis TalentGraph, they can follow the instructions outlined in the Talentis Privacy Policy.
Talentis will review and process eligible deletion requests in accordance with applicable privacy regulations and our data protection policies.
It’s important to note that the Talentis TalentGraph is separate from the proprietary information stored by individual search firms. While we can remove information from the TalentGraph, we do not have access to candidate notes, communications, relationship history, or other recruiter-generated information stored within a client’s executive search CRM.
If an individual wishes to have information removed from a specific executive search firm’s internal database, they should contact that organization directly.
Yes.
All Talentis recruiter clients receive access to GatedTalent, a free career platform that allows executives to share additional professional information directly with recruiters and executive search firms.
By creating a GatedTalent profile, executives can provide recruiters with richer career information, helping ensure that their experience, achievements, and career interests are represented as accurately as possible.
This gives executive search firms access to additional candidate insights while allowing executives greater control over the information they choose to share with the recruitment community.
Executives can create a free GatedTalent profile here.
Talentis is developed by Ikiru People, a leading provider of technology solutions for executive search firms, recruitment agencies, and talent acquisition teams worldwide.
Ikiru People is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dillistone Group Plc, one of the recruitment industry’s few publicly traded technology providers, listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.
The wider group has decades of experience supporting the recruitment and executive search industry through established brands including FileFinder, Voyager Infinity, GatedTalent, and ISV.Online.
This combination of industry experience, financial stability, and long-term investment in recruitment technology gives Talentis users the confidence of partnering with an established executive search software provider.
Talentis combines executive search CRM, executive search software, candidate sourcing, and relationship management functionality within a single platform.
From a CRM perspective, Talentis is often compared with executive search platforms such as FileFinder, Encore by Cluen, Invenias, Ezekia, Crelate, Recruit CRM, and Thrive.
From a candidate sourcing perspective, Talentis is frequently compared with tools such as LinkedIn Recruiter and other passive candidate sourcing platforms.
However, Talentis differs from many of these products by combining executive search CRM functionality, AI-powered research, candidate sourcing, assignment management, and relationship intelligence in a single cloud-based platform.
As a result, Talentis is most commonly compared with Talent Intelligence Platforms such as Loxo, which combine CRM and sourcing capabilities within a unified solution.
Talentis and Loxo are both examples of modern Talent Intelligence Platforms, combining CRM functionality with candidate sourcing in a single solution.
However, the two platforms are designed for slightly different audiences.
Loxo supports a broad range of recruiting use cases, including staffing agencies, professional recruiting, in-house recruiting teams, and high-volume hiring environments. As a result, it includes functionality that may be valuable for some recruiting businesses but less relevant to specialist executive search firms.
Talentis was designed specifically for executive search firms, retained search consultants, private equity talent teams, and executive talent acquisition professionals. The platform focuses on executive search workflows, passive candidate sourcing, relationship intelligence, executive search CRM functionality, and assignment management.
Both platforms combine CRM and sourcing capabilities, but Talentis places particular emphasis on helping executive recruiters identify passive candidates, manage complex relationships, and deliver executive search assignments from a single platform.
Another key difference is that Talentis includes its core executive search CRM, candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, and reporting functionality within its standard offering, helping firms access the capabilities they need without relying on multiple disconnected systems.
Ultimately, both platforms are modern alternatives to traditional executive search CRM software. The right choice depends on your firm’s workflows, recruiting model, and specific requirements, but organizations focused on executive search often find that Talentis aligns closely with their needs.
Talentis and Invenias are both executive search software and executive search CRM platforms designed to support executive recruiters and search firms.
One key difference is platform architecture. Invenias has traditionally been closely integrated with Microsoft Outlook, while Talentis is a fully web-based executive search CRM that can be accessed through a browser on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. Talentis also includes Outlook and Microsoft Word integrations, supporting both Classic Outlook and the newer Outlook experience.
Another difference is the Talentis TalentGraph.
Like many traditional executive search CRM systems, Invenias typically starts with an organization’s existing data and migrated records. Talentis, by contrast, combines CRM functionality with access to the TalentGraph, helping recruiters source passive candidates, research executive talent, and access publicly available professional information from across the web.
Talentis also combines executive search CRM functionality, candidate sourcing, AI-powered research, relationship management, and assignment tracking within a single platform. This allows executive search firms to manage the entire search process—from identifying passive candidates to delivering client shortlists—from one system.
The best solution will depend on your firm’s needs, existing workflows, and technology preferences. Firms seeking a modern, cloud-based executive search software platform with integrated sourcing capabilities often find Talentis to be a compelling alternative.