The Definition of a Talent Brief
A talent brief — also called a role brief or search brief — is the structured document produced at the start of an executive search that defines the role requirements, company context, candidate profile, compensation parameters, and success criteria. It is the operating specification for everything the search firm does: who they source, how they assess, what they present to the client, and how they manage the close.
A talent brief is distinct from a job description. A job description is written for candidates — it is a marketing document. A talent brief is written for the search firm — it is a precision instrument. The two documents serve different purposes and should never be confused.
What a Strong Talent Brief Includes
Business context
Why the role exists, what it needs to accomplish in 90 days and 12 months, the current state of the team, and the organisational dynamics the new leader will need to navigate. This cannot come from the job description — it requires conversation.
Candidate profile
Must-haves and nice-to-haves, stated with specificity. The stage of company where the candidate has operated. The size of team they have led. The revenue context. The technical or functional depth required. Vague profiles produce vague shortlists.
Compensation architecture
Base range, equity structure, bonus design, and the total compensation target relative to the market. Compensation misalignment is one of the top three reasons searches fail. It must be addressed in the brief, not discovered at offer stage.
Disqualifiers
Explicit criteria that would remove a candidate from consideration regardless of other strengths. These are as important as the must-haves — they save time and prevent the client from evaluating candidates who will never be right.
Founder or CEO operating style
The new leader will work most closely with the hiring manager. Their operating style, communication preferences, and decision-making patterns must be captured in the brief so the search firm can assess cultural fit as rigorously as capability fit.
"A talent brief written in 30 minutes produces a shortlist that takes 30 weeks. A talent brief built over 90 minutes of structured conversation produces a shortlist in 4 weeks. The intake investment is the highest-return activity in the search."
How Majhi Group Builds the Brief
The Majhi Group intake process runs 90 minutes to 2 hours — covering every element above in sequence. The output is a written brief that both parties review and confirm before sourcing begins. Searches that start with a signed-off brief close faster, produce fewer false-starts, and generate higher shortlist approval rates. Our 38% → 82% shortlist approval improvement is a direct result of brief quality.