Скачать или смотреть The Unspoken Truth Contingent Firms Don't Want You to Hear with Mitch McDermott

What if you could take the best of executive search and the best of contingent recruiting and actually make them work together?

In this episode of the AI in Recruiting Podcast, host Marcus sits down with Mitch McDermott, founder of Talent Ascension Group, a search firm built to bridge the gap between two very different models. Mitch grew up in the world of retained executive search, watching his father run a top 25 firm, but after years in contingent recruiting, he saw the flaws in both systems. Retained searches were expensive and slow. Contingent recruiting was fast but low trust and high volume. His answer? A hybrid approach focused on the critical mid-level layer of managers, directors, and VPs that drives a company’s long-term success.

Mitch shares how his firm delivers 3 to 4 times the industry’s average fill rate by combining the rigor and depth of executive search with the agility and performance-based pricing of contingent. He also introduces his framework for identifying candidate archetypes, builders, maintainers, and improvers, so companies hire not just for today’s role but for future growth.

The conversation dives deep into the balance between technology and human judgment. While AI can streamline admin and sharpen precision, Mitch makes it clear that emotional intelligence, trust, and gut instinct are still irreplaceable. He closes with advice for founders: build your business on clear, actionable values that guide every decision and relationship.

About Mitch McDermott
Mitch McDermott is the Founding Partner of Talent Ascension Group, an executive search firm he built to rethink how great talent connects with the right opportunities. Based in Irvine, California, Mitch has spent over a decade helping companies grow by placing mid-level leaders who make a lasting impact. With experience across the U.S. and Australia, he’s passionate about people, purpose, and creating a recruitment experience that actually feels human.

About Marcus Sawyerr
Marcus Sawyerr is the Founder & CEO of EQ.app, a company reshaping recruitment by eliminating administrative overhead through AI. With 19 years of experience in staffing and recruiting technology, including serving as Global President of Innovation at Adecco, Marcus brings a rare blend of grassroots sales expertise, executive leadership, and product vision. EQ.app is built around a clear mission: Zero-Admin™. Marcus’s goal is to empower forward-thinking recruiting organizations with intelligent infrastructure that unlocks access to opportunity and drives real outcomes.

About Joel Lalgee
Joel Lalgee is an internationally known recruitment leader and coach who has helped thousands of recruiters build their brands online. In 2015, Joel started recruiting for a small start-up agency in Milwaukee. He quickly found his passion for recruitment. In 2019, he discovered content marketing, publishing his first posts on Linkedin. Since then, he has grown to over 400k followers, and his content has been seen over 1 billion times. In 2023, he started a business specializing in coaching recruiters, marketing consulting, and influencer partnerships.

Resource Links
LinkedIn | Marcus Sawyerr:   / marcus-sawyerr-593a716  
LinkedIn | EQ Community:   / eqcommunity  
Website | EQ App: https://www.eq.app/
LinkedIn | Joel Lalgee:   / joellalgee  
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