
How to Earn Trusted Advisor Status in Recruitment with Somer Hackley
From The Retained Search Show by Retrained Search
March 31, 2026 · 56 min · Season 1 · Episode 62
About this episode
Somer Hackley discusses the importance of earning trusted advisor status in recruitment and shares a pivotal career story.
In this episode, Louise Archer speaks with Somer Hackley, CEO of Distinguished Search and author of Search in Plain Sight, about the real difference between transactional recruiting and true trusted advisory. Somer shares the pivotal story that changed her career: the moment she advised a client not to hire the only finalist left in process, despite months of work and huge pressure to close. That decision became the foundation of deeper trust, long-term partnership, and a completely different...
People in this episode
Host: Louise Archer
Guest: Somer Hackley
Topics covered
- trusted advisor
- recruitment
- transactional recruiting
- career change
- client relationships
Keywords
- trusted advisor
- recruitment
- Somer Hackley
- Louise Archer
- client trust
- career advice
- transactional recruiting
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Distinguished Search
Books & works: Search in Plain Sight
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- From Supplier to Trusted Partner: Why Most Recruiters Get It Wrong · April 28, 2026 · 38 min
- AI, Automation & The Death of Transactional Recruitment with Adrian Byra · April 14, 2026 · 38 min
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