If you’ve followed along with this series, you already know that consistent, targeted searching inside Top Echelon Network is one of the fastest ways to line up talent before your competitors. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to rerun the same searches over and over. In fact, you shouldn’t. Your time is far better spent talking with clients and candidates than repeatedly clicking through filters.
That’s where Alerts come in.
Alerts turn your best search logic into a daily, automated talent radar. Set it once, and TE keeps watch for you—surfacing the newest relevant candidates so you can move first, move fast, and move confidently.
Why Alerts Matter (and What They Solve)
Let’s be honest: the market isn’t slowing down to match our calendar. New reqs pop up. Candidates change jobs. Recruiters in the Network load new talent every day. If you rely on manual searching alone, you’ll either:
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Spend valuable time rebuilding the same query, or
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Miss the moment when high-quality candidates land in the database.
Alerts fix both problems. They let you capture new activity automatically, so when your client calls with an urgent need, you already have names to share—or at least a clear line to the recruiter who owns them.
As I often say to members during training:
“If you always want to know who’s sharing quality assurance people, this will tell you when they’re being added to the database.”
That simple advantage—knowing first—creates real leverage in split recruiting.
How Alerts Work (Three Short Steps)
You can set up an Alert in under a minute. Here’s the flow:
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Run a search in the Network Candidate Database using the criteria you care about. For example, try:
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Title: Quality Assurance Engineer
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Freshness: Added in the last 6 months
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Optional filters: location radius, industry, clearance, compensation band, etc.
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Click “Set up alert” on the right-hand side of your search results.
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Save it. Give your alert a descriptive name (e.g., “QA Eng—Midwest—6mo Fresh”).
From that point forward, TE runs that saved search every night at 4:00 a.m. Eastern and notifies you of new matches. You wake up to a clean snapshot of what’s new—no rebuilding necessary.
What to Do When New Candidates Hit Your Inbox
Alerts aren’t the finish line—they’re the starting gun. When you see fresh candidates arrive, act quickly:
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Scan the profile for value signals. Look for recent, relevant titles, industries aligned with your clients, and location fit.
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Reach out to the recruiter-owner when appropriate. Ask about candidate availability, interview status, or other competing activity.
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Position early with your client. “I’m tracking a few QA engineers who hit the Network overnight; shall I prioritize a screen today?”
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Update your pipeline records. Tag the candidate or the owning recruiter for future searches and alerts.
This proactive rhythm ensures your pipeline is never stale—and your client conversations are always grounded in timely, actionable intel.
Practical Alert Ideas You Can Use Today
To help you get the most from Alerts, here are a few patterns other members are using effectively:
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Title + Freshness
“Quality Assurance Engineer” + last 6 months.
Great for evergreen roles where you need continuous coverage.
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Geography + Clearance/Certification
“QA” within 50 miles of Columbus, OH + CPG experience or medical device ISO standards.
Perfect when relocation is tough or compliance matters.
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Seniority Banding
“QA Manager” + last 3 months and a separate alert for “Senior QA Engineer” + last 3 months.
Keeps your outreach tailored to the right leadership level.
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Diversity of Source
Pair Alerts for two or three adjacent titles—QA Engineer, SDET, Test Automation—to spot crossover fits.
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Client-Specific “Heatmaps”
Create Alerts for each of your top three clients’ recurring needs. Name them clearly (e.g., “Client A—SDET East Coast”) so your morning triage is effortless.
A Day-in-the-Life Example
Imagine this scenario. You’re working a retained search for a mid-market manufacturer that’s rebuilding its QA function. Timeline is tight. You set two alerts:
The next morning, your alerts surface three new QA Engineers within driving distance of your client’s plant and one QA Manager with ISO 13485 experience. Before 10:00 a.m., you’ve:
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Messaged the owning recruiters to confirm current interest and mobility.
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Slotted two quick intro calls with candidates who aren’t yet interviewing elsewhere.
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Sent your client a same-day update: “Four promising profiles just posted; I’ll have two prescreens wrapped before COB.”
By the time a competitor hears about the opening, you already have momentum—because your alerts did the night shift for you.
Pro Tips for Power Users
A few simple tweaks go a long way:
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Name Alerts consistently. Use a template like [Function]—[Region/Remote]—[Freshness]—[Special Flag]. It keeps your inbox scannable.
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Tune freshness to velocity. Fast-moving markets? Try last 30–90 days. Niche roles? Extend to 6–12 months to capture rare profiles.
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Stack Alerts for coverage. It’s normal to run 3–6 Alerts per specialty: one broad net, two targeted nets, and a leadership net.
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Calendar a quick “Alert Review” block. Ten minutes each morning is plenty. Respond, route, and reset.
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Close the loop with partners. When an Alert surfaces a partner’s candidate, acknowledge quickly. Speed + transparency builds trust—and split placements.
Common Questions I Hear (and Straight Answers)
“Won’t alerts overwhelm my inbox?”
Not if you name and scope them well. Start with one or two Alerts per desk. If you’re getting too many results, tighten location, industry, or freshness. If you’re getting too few, loosen the title or expand the date range.
“What if multiple recruiters add similar candidates?”
Great—more shots on goal. Your job is to assess momentum and choose the warmest path forward. When in doubt, talk to the owning recruiters; that short conversation can save you hours.
“Do Alerts replace my weekly sourcing?”
No. Alerts complement it. You’ll still run deeper, strategic searches for specific reqs. Alerts ensure you don’t miss the new while you pursue the now.
The Competitive Edge: Being Early, Often
Speed wins, but early speed is unbeatable. Alerts don’t just save time; they shift your posture from reactive to proactive. They enable you to walk into client calls with something new, something relevant, and something they haven’t seen yet. That changes the tone of the conversation—and the trajectory of the search.
Remember: the Network is strongest when we share what’s working. If you discover an Alert configuration that consistently surfaces gold, tell your trading partners. A healthier ecosystem benefits everyone—and it tends to come back to you as better, faster splits.
Set Your First Alert Today
If you’re new to Alerts, start simple:
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Run a search in the Network Candidate Database for a role you place often—say, “Quality Assurance Engineer” in the last 6 months.
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Click “Set up alert” on the right-hand side.
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Save it with a clear name.
That’s it. Tonight at 4:00 a.m. Eastern, TE will rerun that search and notify you of new matches.
If you hit a snag—or want ideas for alert strategies specific to your niche—join me for TE Network: Tools, Culture, Success on Mondays and Fridays at 3:00 p.m. ET. I’ll walk you through live examples and help you tailor Alerts to your desk.
As always, I want to see you succeed. Let’s put TE to work while you sleep—so you can spend your best hours talking to clients, closing searches, and celebrating wins.
If you have questions about Alerts or any other aspect of your split recruiting membership, you can reach me at 330.455.1433, x156 or drea@topechelon.com. I’m here to help.
