Talent Quest

Great teams are the cornerstone of excellent public agencies and service delivery. That is why our Talent Quest service is formulated to find the highest quality candidate that best fits your organization. We are hands-on, dedicated and responsive, providing you with a tailored search geared toward your specific needs. We maintain regular communication with our clients and candidates, ensuring a seamless search process while extending the professional courtesy that enhances the reputation of both TS Talent Solutions and your agency. At the core of all we do is our deep respect for the local government profession and our commitment to ethical standards.

The Talent Quest Journey

Our Talent Quest service offers the most comprehensive traditional search experience, infused with TS Talent Solutions’ distinctive expertise. Each Talent Quest is a dedicated journey to fill a specific executive-level position with precision and excellence.

Step 1: Develop a Candidate Profile

Developing a profile of who you want to work alongside is a vital first step in the recruitment process. TS Talent Solutions meets with the City Manager, City staff, City Council and/or other appropriate stakeholders to obtain information that will ultimately inform the success of the process. If desired, TS Talent Solutions will also engage in a community/stakeholder engagement process to gather additional information from the public to aid the search process.

Step 2: Develop Marketing Materials

TS Talent Solutions is a branch under Tripepi Smith, a marketing and communications firm of over 55 full-time marketing professionals. Our team is comprised of marketing strategists and graphic designers who possess a deep understanding of what makes marketing materials impactful and effective. At TS Talent Solutions, our typical marketing materials for a given recruitment consist of:

Professional designed recruitment brochure specific to the position
Eye-catching social media copies and graphics
Compelling job board language

Step 3: Outreach & Recruiting

One of the most important parts of the process is outreach and active recruiting. At TS Talent Solutions, we believe Context x Distribution = Impact. Even the best outreach materials won’t make an impact or attract the desired talent if they don’t reach the right audience. TS Talent Solutions ensures the word about each of its searches are spread far and wide, with management of each position on multiple professional job boards, social media outreach and direct outreach to those within our vast local government network. Our boutique recruiting approach includes proactive outreach. We “smile and dial,” personally contacting qualified individuals to uncover candidates who aren’t actively job hunting but may be persuaded to explore new opportunities.

Step 4: Evaluate & Screen

As applications come in, TS Talent Solutions conducts an initial screening of each candidate to ensure we present our client with the most qualified candidates according to the candidate profile we developed at the beginning of the process. We set up initial screening interviews with all viable candidates to establish rapport gauge their qualifications, and conduct preliminary internet searches for additional vetting.

Step 5: Candidate Presentation

Presenting candidates to staff, governing boards, and other key stakeholders involved in the selection process demands thorough preparation and efficiency. To facilitate this, we compile and present a comprehensive Candidate Materials Packet, which includes resumes and cover letters for all qualified candidates, along with high-level summary sheets for top contenders, outlining why TSTS believes they are ideal for the role. We maintain transparency throughout the recruiting process, providing a full list of applicants and identifying the relative strengths and weaknesses of the position as well as the market responses we observe.

Step 6: Conduct Interviews

TS Talent Solutions is here to help through every stage of the process. You want us to schedule the interviews? Of course. Want us to coordinate with each panelist on interview details? You got it. We’ll travel on-site to be there during in-person interviews and will manage virtual interviews in the back-end on Zoom.

Step 7: Notification

TS Talent Solutions never leaves candidates wondering if their application was received or about the outcome of the process. We thank every applicant and notify all candidates who are not moving forward in the process. You never know how the talent we met in this process might show up years later, highly-qualified to meet another need in your organization. It is best to stay friends.

Step 8: Negotiation

TS Talent Solutions is happy to collaborate with our clients in negotiating an employment contract with the selected candidate or discussing salary requirements. We’ll also assist with background checks and reference calls.