Retained search software

Retained Search Software

Keep retained mandates, target-company research, longlists, shortlists, client updates, partner review, and placement reporting visible from one recruiting workspace.

Book a Demo View reporting

Primary workflow

Retained mandate

Best fit

Long-cycle searches

Core system

CRM + reporting

Retained mandate control room

Milestones, shortlist, updates

Today

Mandate phase

Longlist

target company research active

Client update

Friday

shortlist progress due

Partner review

8

profiles awaiting decision

Mandate view

CEO search for industrial group

Update due

Longlist review

18 researched executives, 9 qualified, 5 ready for partner decision

Active
Target map Partner review Client update

Shortlist status

Three candidates approved for confidential client conversation

Ready
Feedback logged Interviews next Report Friday

Next client update

Review shortlist changes, stale follow-ups, and milestone notes before the weekly retained-search call.

Retained mandate operating layer

Keep the mandate visible from kickoff to shortlist and placement

Retained search teams need a clear view of the client brief, market map, longlist, shortlist, feedback, milestones, and reports. ATZ CRM keeps the recruiting work connected over the full search cycle.

01

Kick off the mandate

Create the client account, role brief, search owner, confidentiality notes, timeline, and reporting expectations.

02

Map the market

Connect target companies, potential candidates, source notes, and outreach status to the active retained search.

03

Build the longlist

Track researched, qualified, interested, and declined candidates with notes that help partners guide the shortlist.

04

Share shortlist progress

Keep shortlisted profiles, client feedback, interview movement, and next actions visible before update calls.

05

Report through placement

Review milestones, stale actions, candidate movement, offer progress, placement status, and future relationship follow-up.

Why retained firms evaluate software

Long-cycle searches need a control room, not scattered updates

A retained mandate becomes easier to manage when partners, researchers, and recruiters can see what moved, what stalled, and what needs client attention next.

See the retained mandate workflow
Why mandates drift

Retained searches suffer when milestones and candidate movement split apart

The client sees updates, the partner reviews shortlists, and researchers work longlists. If those views do not connect, the mandate becomes hard to steer.

ATZ CRM keeps client, candidate, milestone, shortlist, and reporting context connected to the retained assignment.

What creates risk

Client updates are weaker when the team rebuilds status manually

Manual reports often miss stale follow-ups, unclear owner tasks, aging candidates, or the latest feedback from shortlist review.

Prepare updates from the same workspace your team uses to run the search.

What you will see

A retained mandate control room from kickoff to shortlist

In the walkthrough, review a mandate workspace, target companies, longlist movement, shortlist status, client-update inputs, and reporting.

The demo should show how long-cycle retained work stays visible without claiming finance or advisory features.

Book this walkthrough

Retained search workflows

Run the search with client visibility in mind

Use ATZ CRM to manage the operational layer behind retained search: mandate context, target companies, longlists, shortlists, feedback, next actions, and reports.

Walk through the workflow

Mandate workspace

Give each retained search one home for the client, role brief, timeline, candidates, notes, tasks, and reports.

Target-company mapping

Keep target companies and sourced executives connected to the retained assignment instead of splitting research across files.

Client update preparation

Review shortlist status, candidate movement, feedback, and next actions before partner or client update meetings.

Long-cycle reporting

Track search milestones, activity, stage aging, and placement outcomes across a multi-week retained engagement.

ATZ CRM is a strong fit when you need

  • Retained search firms managing long-cycle mandates with client updates, partner review, target companies, longlists, shortlists, and placement reporting
  • Teams that need client and candidate history connected to each retained assignment
  • Researchers, recruiters, and partners who need shared visibility into next actions and shortlist readiness
  • Firms moving from spreadsheets, legacy search databases, or disconnected CRM and ATS tools
  • Search operations teams that need reporting without claiming specialist finance, assessment, or advisory workflows

You may also need specialist tools for

  • Retainer accounting, invoicing, payroll, pay/bill, or specialist finance workflows
  • Leadership assessment, psychometric testing, reference checks, or compensation benchmarking
  • Board advisory, succession planning, governance consulting, or post-placement leadership advisory tooling
  • Legal off-limits enforcement certification or confidential-search compliance consulting
  • Client portal promises unless the implementation is explicitly scoped and supported

This boundary is intentional. ATZ CRM supports the recruiting CRM and ATS side of retained search: mandates, target companies, candidates, outreach, shortlists, updates, reporting, and follow-ups. It is not specialist retainer accounting or board advisory software.

Capabilities inside ATZ CRM

The ATZ CRM capabilities behind this workflow

See how the recruiting desk connects candidate records, client conversations, outreach, placements, and reporting without sending the team through separate tools.

Recruitment CRM

Manage client accounts, hiring contacts, retained mandates, candidate relationships, and follow-up tasks.

View capability

Reports and Dashboards

Show mandate progress, shortlist readiness, recruiter activity, and client-update inputs from one reporting layer.

View capability

Applicant Tracking System

Track candidate movement through longlist, shortlist, interview, offer, placement, and nurture stages.

View capability

Workflow Automation

Trigger reminders around stale candidates, client updates, partner review, and next-step ownership.

View capability

AI Candidate Matching

Reuse known candidate data and similar profiles when a retained mandate begins.

View capability

Data Migration

Move retained-search relationship history from spreadsheets or legacy databases into ATZ CRM.

View capability

Executive search solutions

Explore the executive search workflows ATZ CRM supports

Build the cluster around the way search firms evaluate software: CRM, ATS, broad recruiting software, headhunter workflows, and retained search.

5

Executive search workflows supported by ATZ CRM

Related solution workflows

1

Executive Search CRM

Keep long-term client and executive candidate relationships connected to every mandate.

View workflow 2

Executive Search ATS

Track senior candidate movement from research and outreach to shortlist, interview, offer, and placement.

View workflow 3

Executive Recruiting Software

Compare the full platform workflow across sourcing, CRM, ATS, outreach, reporting, migration, and adoption.

View workflow 4

Headhunter Software

Support practitioner-led sourcing, profile capture, passive outreach, notes, and follow-up discipline.

View workflow 5

Executive Search

Explore the existing ATZ CRM overview for executive search teams.

View workflow

What the walkthrough covers

See a retained mandate move through ATZ CRM

Review mandate setup, market mapping, longlist development, shortlist review, client update inputs, reporting, and placement movement.

Create a retained mandate workspace with client account, search notes, milestones, owners, and reporting views Workflow step 1
Track target companies, longlist candidates, shortlist readiness, client feedback, interviews, offer, placement, and future nurture Workflow step 2
Prepare partner and client updates from the same data used by researchers and recruiters Workflow step 3
Book the retained search walkthrough

FAQ

Questions retained search firms ask before choosing software

What is retained search software?

Retained search software supports long-cycle executive search mandates by helping teams manage client accounts, role briefs, target companies, longlists, shortlists, client updates, interviews, placement movement, and reporting.

How is retained search software different from general recruiting software?

Retained search depends on mandate visibility, client progress updates, target-company mapping, longlists, shortlists, partner review, and long-term relationship context. General tools may not connect these workflows clearly.

Can ATZ CRM manage longlists and shortlists for retained search?

Yes. ATZ CRM can track researched candidates, qualification notes, outreach, shortlist movement, client feedback, interview stages, offers, placements, and nurture status.

Can ATZ CRM prepare client update inputs?

ATZ CRM can support client-update preparation by keeping candidate movement, notes, tasks, owner activity, shortlist status, and reporting visible in one workspace.

Does ATZ CRM handle retainer billing or accounting?

No. ATZ CRM should be positioned as the recruiting ATS and CRM layer for retained search work. It should not be described as specialist retainer accounting, invoicing, payroll, or pay/bill software.

Can retained search firms migrate historical relationships into ATZ CRM?

Yes. ATZ CRM supports migration for candidates, clients, jobs, pipelines, notes, activities, and other recruiting records that help preserve historical relationship context.