Appendix D. Template Library
1. Search Brief Template
| Field | Fill In |
|---|---|
| Role | |
| Business problem | |
| Client / hiring manager | |
| Mandatory signs | |
| Desirable signals | |
| Exclusions | |
| Job title alternatives | |
| Donor companies | |
| Adjacent companies | |
| Sources and search routes | |
| First-message angles | |
| Initial call questions | |
| Feedback SLA |
Example:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Role | Senior Backend Engineer |
| Business problem | Strengthen the team responsible for payment-system reliability. |
| Mandatory signs | High-load backend experience, incidents, observability, and ownership of a production service. |
| Donor companies | Fintech infrastructure, billing, marketplace core teams. |
| First-message angles | Critical-circuit reliability, transaction scale, and deep engineering ownership. |
| Feedback SLA | Calibration profiles — 24 hours, interviews — 24 hours. |
2. Client Brief Script
What business problem does this hire solve?
What will the person own?
What outcomes will show success?
Which 3 requirements are truly mandatory?
How is that visible in a profile?
Which types of experience have worked or not worked before?
What compromises are possible?
What constraints are fixed?
How quickly will feedback arrive?
3. Requirements Classification Matrix
| Requirement | Mandatory | Desirable | Signal | Noise | Observable sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4. Candidate Portrait Canvas
| Block | Notes |
|---|---|
| Work performed | |
| Environment | |
| Tools | |
| Projects | |
| Job titles | |
| Communities | |
| Public traces | |
| Motivation | |
| Risks | |
| First-message angle |
5. Search Hypothesis Builder
People who did [work] in [environment] may fit because [reason].
I will find them via [job titles], [companies], [keywords], [communities], [public traces].
I will test this on [number] profiles and measure [share of relevant profiles].
6. Market Map Template
| Pool | Why relevant | Source | Job titles | Keywords | Risk | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Example:
| Pool | Why relevant | Source | Job titles | Keywords | Risk | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fintech infrastructure | Similar payment-system or transaction-circuit reliability. | LinkedIn, conferences, engineering blogs. | Backend Engineer, Platform Engineer | reliability, payments, Kafka, PostgreSQL | May lack direct B2B SaaS context. | High |
7. Donor Company Matrix
| Company | Why relevant | Teams | Job titles | Signals | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8. Boolean Query Testing Log
| Date | Source | Query | Viewed | Relevant | Noise | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Example:
| Date | Source | Query | Viewed | Relevant | Noise | Next change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun | "Backend Engineer" AND (payments OR billing) AND Kafka | 20 | 6 | Too many payment support and analyst profiles. | Add platform OR reliability, remove support. |
9. LinkedIn Profile Scorecard
| Candidate | Mandatory signs | Environment | Level | Transferability | Message angle | Risk | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10. First Message Formula
Hello, [name].
I noticed [a specific fact from the profile].
We are looking for someone for [role/problem], where [the link to the candidate's experience] matters.
This could be interesting if [the value from the candidate's perspective] is important to you.
Would it be okay to take [a simple next step]? If not, that is completely fine.
Example:
Hello, Anna.
I noticed your experience with backend services for payment flows and with production-system observability.
We are looking for a senior engineer to improve transaction-circuit reliability, where incidents, Kafka, and PostgreSQL matter.
I can send a short brief if this area of responsibility may be interesting to you. If now is not the right time, that is completely fine.
11. Follow-Up Sequence
Follow-up message 1:
Just coming back to the message above. I reached out because of [a specific fact]. Would it make sense to send details?
Follow-up message 2:
Closing the loop from my side. If [topic] becomes relevant later, I would be glad to return to the conversation.
12. Candidate Relevance Scorecard
| Dimension | Score 1-3 | Facts | Uncertainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory work | |||
| Environment | |||
| Scale/level | |||
| Transferable skills | |||
| Motivation | |||
| Risk |
Example:
| Dimension | Score 1-3 | Facts | Uncertainty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mandatory work | 3 | The profile shows responsibility for a payment backend service and incident response. | Need to clarify workload scale. |
| Environment | 2 | Fintech infrastructure, but not B2B SaaS. | Check domain transferability. |
| Scale/level | 2 | Senior role and projects involving several teams. | Needs calibration with the tech lead. |
| Motivation | 1 | No clear job-search signals in the profile. | Check during the first contact. |
13. Weekly Update for the Client
Role:
Week:
Hypotheses tested:
Profiles reviewed:
Candidates contacted:
Responses:
Interested responses:
Qualified initial calls:
Interviews:
Main rejection reasons:
What we learned about the market:
Decision needed:
Next plan:
Example:
Role: Senior Backend Engineer
Week: 14–18 Jun
Hypotheses tested: fintech infrastructure, billing platforms, marketplace core teams
Profiles reviewed: 80
Candidates contacted: 18
Responses: 5
Interested responses: 2
Qualified initial calls: 1
Interviews: 0
Main rejection reasons: compensation expectations, limited direct ownership of the production zone
What we learned about the market: billing platforms yield more relevant profiles than marketplace core teams
Decision needed: align on expanding the search to platform engineers from fintech infrastructure
Next plan: review 30 profiles in the new pool and rewrite the outreach angle for reliability
14. Funnel Metrics Dashboard
| Role | Viewed | Saved | Contacted | Responses | Interested | Qualified | Interviews | Offers | Main blocker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15. Sourcer-to-Recruiter Handoff Checklist
- Candidate link.
- Source and hypothesis.
- Facts on mandatory requirements.
- First contact history.
- Candidate motivation.
- Compensation and location notes.
- Initial call notes.
- Open questions.
- Recommended next step.
16. CRM / ATS Hygiene Checklist
- The candidate is linked to the correct role.
- An owner is assigned.
- The source is recorded.
- The stage is current.
- The notes are factual.
- The contact history is visible.
- The rejection reason is specific.
- The next action has a date.
- The communication opt-out is respected.
- Duplicate checking is complete.
17. 30-Minute Sourcing Sprint Plan
0–5 minutes: review the brief and choose one hypothesis.
5–10 minutes: build or refine the query.
10–22 minutes: review and assess profiles.
22–27 minutes: send or prepare messages for the best candidates.
27–30 minutes: record the metrics and the next iteration.
