Matching Candidates to a Role
A new role just opened and you want to find existing candidates in your database who could be a fit, before you start sourcing externally.
What to say to Claude
"Who from our database would suit this new CFO role?"
What happens
- loxo_search_candidates — Claude searches your candidate database by title, skills, sector, and tags using Lucene queries to find potential matches
- loxo_get_candidate_brief (for shortlisted candidates) — for the most promising results, Claude reviews their intake notes, activity history, and recruiter notes to assess genuine fit and current availability
- Claude surfaces the best matches with supporting evidence drawn from your own recruiter notes and conversations
Example output
I searched your database for candidates with CFO, VP Finance, and senior finance leadership backgrounds. Here are the strongest matches:
1. Michael Torres — Former CFO, NovaBridge Capital
Why he fits: 15 years in finance leadership, last 6 as CFO at a PE-backed SaaS company ($80M revenue). Has led two fundraising rounds and an M&A integration. Your intake notes mention he's "looking for another growth-stage CFO seat, ideally Series C or later."
Availability: Left NovaBridge in January after a successful exit. Currently consulting but actively looking. Last spoke March 5 — he said he'd be interested in anything PE-backed in the $50-150M range.
Compensation: Was at $280k base + 30% bonus + 0.5% equity. Looking for similar or better.
2. Rachel Adeyemi — VP Finance, Crestline Health
Why she fits: 10 years in finance, currently running a team of 12 across FP&A, accounting, and treasury. Your notes say she's "ready for the CFO title — has the skills, just needs a company willing to give her the seat." Industry is healthcare, not an exact match, but financial complexity is comparable.
Availability: Employed but open. Mentioned in your last call (February 22) that she'd move for the right opportunity, especially if it comes with board exposure.
Compensation: Currently $210k base + 20% bonus. Would need $230k+ to move.
3. Daniel Cho — Director of Finance, Elevate Logistics
Why he fits: Strong operational finance background — has built out reporting infrastructure and implemented NetSuite at two companies. Your notes describe him as "incredibly detail-oriented, would be a great #2 or a strong first-time CFO at a smaller company."
Availability: Casually looking. Last contact was a check-in email on January 30 — he responded but said timing wasn't right. Worth re-engaging now that you have a specific role.
Compensation: $175k base. Would need $200k+ for a CFO title.
My recommendation: Michael Torres is the standout — he's immediately available, has done the exact job before, and is in your target comp range. Rachel Adeyemi is the dark horse if the client is open to a first-time CFO with strong fundamentals. Daniel Cho is worth a call if you need a deeper bench.
Tips
- Combine criteria: "Search for CFO or VP Finance candidates with PE experience in the healthcare sector"
- Narrow by location: "Who in our database near Chicago would suit this role?"
- Ask Claude to explain its reasoning: "Why did you shortlist each of these candidates?"
- Use tags: "Search for candidates tagged 'finance-leadership' or 'C-suite'"
- Start with more and filter down: "Show me the top 10, then I'll tell you which ones to dig deeper on"
- Related guides: Preparing a Briefing Pack once you've added candidates to the pipeline