How Executive Search Firms Share Search Progress and Collaborate With Clients
How it Works
1. Share the research strategy. Show clients the industries, target companies, and total market coverage behind the search.
2. Show progress as it happens. The project dashboard shows how many candidates are being considered, talent pool analytics, where candidates sit in the funnel, and the overall momentum of the search.
3. Collect feedback on the longlist. Clients review and compare profiles and leave structured feedback in the portal, which updates your project in real time as notes on the candidate, and keeps the conversation in one place.
4. Present the shortlist. The status report is built from the work already in Clockwork, with progress, detailed candidate assessments, and next steps, so you never build a separate report.
5. Control what clients see. Visibility settings decide what clients can view, while internal notes, outreach, and sensitive data stay hidden.
Why This Matters For Executive Recruiters
Clients judge a search firm on outcomes, but also on how much of the process they can see. At many firms, that means weekly update emails and slide decks rebuilt by hand.
Clockwork's client portal shows clients the research, the candidates, and the progress as your team works, so updates take no extra effort and feedback lands on the candidate record.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Client Portal
What can clients see in the Clockwork client portal?
Clients can see whatever you choose to make visible. From the research strategy and market coverage reporting, position details, progress dashboards, the longlist, individual candidate profiles, assessments, and status reports, down to specific candidate fields. It's all within your control.
Can I keep internal notes hidden?
Yes. Visibility settings control what clients see. Internal notes, outreach, and sensitive data stay hidden. Remain transparent and share as much or as little as needed during the search.
Can clients give feedback on candidates?
Yes. Clients review and compare candidates on the longlist or status report and leave structured feedback directly in the portal. Their input updates your project in real time as notes on the candidate, captured and flagged as client feedback.
Do I need to build separate client reports?
No. All reporting is built from the work already in Clockwork, including progress, candidate assessments, and next steps.
Does the client portal update in real time?
Yes. Research, candidate status updates, notes, and activity flow into the client portal as your team works on a search.
Can multiple stakeholders use the client portal?
Yes. Multiple client stakeholders can leave feedback, comment, and reply to your notes on candidates in the portal, so everyone involved in the search stays in the loop.
Can clients make changes to candidates in the portal?
No. The client portal is set up to allow clients to view search details and leave feedback on longlists, such as notes, ratings, comments, and more. They cannot change candidate statuses or export search data.
Full transcript ShowHide
Your clients engage you because they trust your expertise. But trust isn't only gained from outcomes. It comes from visibility into your process.
That's why Clockwork includes an interactive client portal. Every step you take in the platform, with your research, candidate status updates, notes, and activity tracking, flows directly into the client workspace. It's real-time transparency without extra effort.
The strategy view shows the industries and target companies, and tracks your total market research coverage. This gives your clients confidence that the research is focused, methodical, and aligned with their priorities.
The position view outlines the role itself: responsibilities, requirements, compensation, and the success criteria you've agreed on with your client. It's a shared reference point that ensures everyone is aligned on what a strong candidate looks like before outreach even begins.
Inside each project, the dashboard gives your clients a clear view of progress: how many candidates are being considered, talent pool analytics, where they are in the funnel, and the overall momentum of the search.
As candidates are added and identified, the longlist makes it easy for clients to review profiles, compare candidates, and provide structured feedback directly in the portal. Their input updates your project in real time, turning client conversations into contextualized feedback and notes on a candidate in the search.
Client and stakeholder feedback, commentary, and replies to your notes on candidates all happen in the client portal, keeping everyone on the search in the loop and involved in the process.
When it's time to present a shortlist, the status report is already prepared, drawn directly from the work you've already done in Clockwork. It summarizes progress and provides detailed candidate assessments and next steps in a clear, professional format, so you never need to build separate reports.
Behind it all are visibility settings. You decide and control what your clients see, tailoring the experience so they feel confident and informed without being overwhelmed, all while internal notes, outreach, and sensitive data stay hidden from clients.
The result is a process that's not only transparent, but collaborative. Clients see the progress, the rigor, and the quality of your work at every stage.
With Clockwork, you're not just placing talent. You're giving your clients a clear window into the process, building trust, and driving better decisions.
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