About Us

We Built the Firm We'd Want to Hire

Most companies have a story about a recruiting firm that didn’t deliver.
A search that went quiet. A candidate who wasn’t right.

That experience is part of why Talent Retriever exists. When we started this firm, we made a deliberate choice to operate differently — to build a team that works on a company’s behalf the way an internal team would.Fully embedded. Fully committed.With no competing incentives and no shortcuts.

More than 20 years later, that’s still exactly how we operate.

Talent Retriever is a founder-led recruiting firm with more than 20 years of experience helping growing companies across North America build the teams that move their business forward.

Our team is built differently than most recruiting firms. Every Talent Retriever recruiter goes through a proprietary certification process before working with a client. They’re trained in our Talent Engineering® framework — how to source proactively, screen thoroughly, represent a client’s company with credibility, and deliver a candidate experience that reflects well on the brands we represent.

We don’t work on commission. Our measure of success is our clients’ success — and we’ve built our entire model around that.

A Different Kind of Recruiting Partner

Relentlessly Resourceful

We don't settle for “good enough” -- we keep going until we find the right person -- and we bring that same energy to every search.

Empathy

We listen deeply and act with genuine care -- for our clients, for candidates, and for the people on our own team. Every hiring challenge is one we take personally.

Agility

Hiring doesn't follow a script. We adjust quickly, stay focused, and keep searches moving when things get complicated.

Coachability

We're always learning -- from our clients, from candidates, and from each other. It's how we stay sharp and keep delivering.

Collaboration

We work as a team -- internally and with our clients. Open communication, shared accountability, and a commitment to getting it right together.

Giving Back

Our commitment to doing right by our clients extends to the communities where we live and work.

HOUSING FAMILIES

Talent Retriever CEO and co-founder Dave Barbato has served on the Board Chair of Housing Families for 15 years. Talent Retriever provides ongoing financial support and has sponsored numerous events for the organization. Dave personally raised over $10,000 running the Boston Marathon on their behalf — two years in a row.

Under Dave’s leadership, Housing Families has grown to support over 180 families annually, expanded affordable housing stock, grown its children’s after-school program, and built funding sources for eviction prevention.

LAZARUS HOUSE MINISTRIES

Ready to talk about your hiring goals?

If your organization is experiencing hiring pressure or planning for growth,
we’d welcome the opportunity to learn more about your needs.