Fishing in a tired Talent Pool? Search is about jumping in the ocean with a harpoon.

Ben Kershaw

Talent pools. They sound promising, don’t they?

Like some magical reservoir brimming with eager, qualified candidates just waiting for your call. But here’s the thing: that pond… it’s overfished. And the fish? They’ve either been caught, passed over, or learned to ignore the bait.

Stop fishing in the same pond. Start hunting where others aren’t looking.

Welcome to the new era of recruitment, where proactive search isn’t just an option—it’s a necessity. Especially in specialist roles and regional New Zealand locations like Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, and Manawatū, where traditional talent pools often run dry.

Talent Pools: The Illusion of Readiness

Let’s clear this up—when we talk about Talent Pools, we’re not referring to niche, curated networks, like a honey company’s exclusive list of experienced beekeepers. That kind of bespoke talent pooling? Great strategy. But that’s not what recruitment agencies typically mean when they talk about their “pools.”

Instead, we’re talking about the old-school recruitment agency model—the one built on stockpiling. Agencies hoard candidates, store their CVs, and wait. Their business model? Acting as gatekeepers to this supposedly “exclusive” database. And companies? They pay a premium for access.

It’s a relic of a bygone era, like fax machines and desktop Rolodexes. It isn’t proactive recruitment—it’s speculative hoarding, a game of hoping that someone on a stored CV list will magically align with today’s hiring needs.

The Reality Check:

• The world moves too fast for static databases. McKinsey reports 87% of companies already face skills shortages or expect to soon.
• The shelf-life of skills is shrinking. Deloitte estimates most skills expire within five years. That “pre-vetted” candidate list? Probably outdated.
• The best candidates aren’t waiting around. Globalisation, remote work, and changing career trajectories mean top talent is on the move—and often off the radar of traditional recruitment methods.

In regional New Zealand, this challenge is even greater. The talent pools are smaller, and tools like LinkedIn lose their effectiveness. Many high-calibre candidates don’t advertise themselves in traditional ways, making passive talent nearly impossible to find—unless you know where to look.

The Problem with Playing It Safe

It’s Reactive, Not Strategic
If you’re waiting for candidates to come to you, you’re already behind. The best talent isn’t hanging around on job boards—they’re busy driving success somewhere else.

The “Best Available” Isn’t the Best
Talent pools show you who’s looking, not who’s best. And spoiler: the best candidates? They’re not waiting in a CV database.

You’re Missing the Game-Changers
The innovators, disruptors, and growth-drivers? They’re thriving elsewhere—not submitting CVs to job portals. But they’re open to the right opportunity—if it comes to them the right way.

The Talent Landscape Has Changed… Have You?

Gone are the days when a job ad was enough.

LinkedIn Talent Trends reports 70% of the global workforce is passive talent—not actively job-seeking but open to the right move. That’s an entire hidden workforce you’re missing if you’re only fishing in traditional waters.

And with AI, automation, and rapid industry shifts, a candidate’s value isn’t just about their past—it’s about their adaptability. Traditional recruitment rarely assesses for adaptability. Proactive search does.

For regional hiring, this is even more important. Limited talent visibility and reliance on outdated recruitment tactics mean companies miss out on exceptional talent hiding in plain sight.

Enter Proactive Search: The Talent Game-Changer

Proactive search flips the recruitment model. Instead of asking, “Who’s available?”, we ask, “Who’s exceptional?”

Data-Driven:
We use real-time market insights, behavioural analytics, and industry mapping to pinpoint the right candidates—not just the “available” ones.

Strategic:
It’s not just about filling vacancies—it’s about future-proofing your workforce.

Influential:
Engaging passive talent requires more than a job ad—it takes real conversations, relationship-building, and matching ambitions to opportunities.

The Science Behind Proactive Search

Market Intelligence:
We track industry trends, competitor hiring, and emerging skill sets to predict talent movements—not just react to them.

Behavioural Benchmarking:
Technical skills can be learned—but behaviours drive success. We look for resilience, leadership, and adaptability—things that don’t show up on a CV.

Candidate Engagement:
This isn’t about “Hey, want a new job?” It’s about understanding high performers and crafting opportunities that genuinely excite them.

Moxie’s Approach (Without the Sales Pitch)

At Moxie, we don’t do talent pools. We do talent pinpointing.

Start with “Why”
We deep-dive into your business strategy, culture, and long-term vision to ensure hiring isn’t just a process—it’s a growth catalyst.

Benchmark Beyond Skills
Moxie assesses for behaviours, motivations, and leadership potential—because skills can be taught, but mindsets drive impact.

Search Relentlessly
Our team engage, influence, and secure top talent—even if they weren’t actively looking.

Real-World Impact: Why This Works

A high-growth manufacturing company needed a visionary operational leader. Traditional recruitment yielded technically strong but uninspired candidates.

Our proactive search?
We found a passive candidate leading innovation at a competitor—not job-seeking, but open to the right challenge. Six months later? They weren’t just performing—they were transforming.

In regional NZ, a niche engineering firm struggled to fill a specialist role.

Traditional job ads? Crickets. LinkedIn? Useless.

Our proactive search?
We uncovered a hidden candidate with rare expertise, not even considering a move—until we showed them the right opportunity.

The Takeaway

If you’re still relying on talent pools, you’re playing yesterday’s game.

Proactive search isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about finding the right people. The game-changers, the status-quo challengers, the ones who’ll push your business forward.

So, maybe it’s time to put down the fishing rod—and pick up a harpoon.

Need to Hire Smarter? Let’s Talk.

At Moxie.nz, we specialise in proactive search for regional New Zealand businesses, finding hidden talent in Taranaki, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū, and beyond.

Let’s connect—because your next great hire won’t be waiting in a talent pool.