What Headsource International does

HeadSource International is a Canadian talent acquisition consulting firm founded in 2014 by David Goulbourne, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario with a secondary office in Barrie. The firm operates a consortium model delivering executive search, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), diversity and inclusion staffing, end-to-end recruitment services, recruitment training, talent acquisition research, and outplacement services for both employers and displaced candidates. It also runs ContractTech, a wholly-owned subsidiary focused on contract technology staffing, and offers HSI UniSearch, an AI-powered meta-crawling platform that aggregates top candidate databases to surface qualifiers for defined job requirements.

The technology stack is anchored by HSI UniSearch, which combines professional recruiter expertise with AI-driven meta-crawling across multiple online candidate repositories; the firm claims this research-based model yields 80% more qualified candidates than traditional social media job advertising. Supporting methodologies include a competitive talent mapping and research framework and an RPO vendor partnership structure tied to service level agreements and review checkpoints. The firm does not publish a custom AI model, training data, or proprietary dataset.

HeadSource generates revenue through a mix of professional services fees (executive search priced against candidate starting salary and role complexity, with a six-month replacement guarantee), annual corporate membership packages bundling the full service portfolio, usage-based pay-per-completed-search or subscription pricing for HSI UniSearch, and direct-to-consumer outplacement tiers priced transparently (for example, $179 per coaching session, $449 for three sessions, cover letters starting at $100, LinkedIn optimization from $200). GTM is consultative and founder-led, with David Goulbourne as Managing Director owning enterprise client relationships, supported by LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook presence and direct phone/email outreach for proposals. Stated client segments span progressive organizations seeking talent transformation, enterprise corporations pursuing diversity talent goals, senior leadership teams requiring C-level search, and individual displaced employees purchasing career transition services.

Name

Headsource International

Legal name

HeadSource International

Website

https://headsource.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HeadSource International is a Canadian talent acquisition consultancy founded in 2014 by David Goulbourne, delivering executive search, RPO, diversity staffing, recruitment training, outplacement, and an AI-powered candidate search platform to enterprise clients and job seekers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote & Global/Multilingual Direct Hire (BPACAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recruiting Administration Outsourcing (Recruitment Support, Scheduling, Onboarding Ops) (BPACAKAG), Cloud, DevOps & Infrastructure Staffing (BPACADAD), Digital Outplacement Platforms & Virtual Career Transition (BPACAOAL)

Keywords

• Executive search services
• Talent acquisition consulting
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Diversity recruiting solutions
• Career transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Talent Acquisition Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for progressive organizations to transform staffing functions and build strategic talent advisor capabilities. Customized solutions for talent attraction strategy.
2. Executive Search: Fees are based on the candidate's starting salary as well as the level of complexity of the role. The company guarantees to replace hired individuals if released for performance-related reasons within six months.
3. Corporate Packages: Annual membership basis providing access to all services including RPO, executive search, recruitment services, diversity solutions, and training. Enables clients to create scalable, customized talent acquisition solutions.
4. HSI Unisearch: Offered on a pay-per-completed-search or multi-use subscription based model. If hiring needs are not met with the service, the client will not be invoiced.
5. Outplacement Services: Resume writing, cover letter drafting, LinkedIn profile optimization, interview preparation, job search strategy development, and career coaching services for displaced employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HeadSource International is a talent acquisition consulting firm that helps organizations transform their staffing functions through executive search, recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), diversity recruiting solutions, recruitment training, and talent acquisition research. The firm also provides outplacement and career transition services (resume writing, career coaching, LinkedIn profile optimization) directly to displaced employees and job seekers. Its proprietary HSI Unisearch platform applies AI-powered meta-crawling technology to source qualified candidates from multiple online databases, supported by a ContractTech division that supplies premium IT contract staffing.

Product overview

HeadSource International is a Talent Acquisition Consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of recruitment-related services. The core offering includes Executive Search for senior leadership positions, Diversity Solutions for D&I program implementation, and full-service Recruitment Services covering permanent and contract staff at all levels. The company operates ContractTech as a specialized IT staffing division and HSI - UniSearch as an AI-powered search technology platform. Additional services include RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing) for end-to-end talent acquisition management, Recruitment Training for team capability development, Talent Acquisition Research for market intelligence, and Outplacement Services for both employers and candidates. Corporate Packages allow clients to bundle multiple services on an annual membership basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search Premium-level executive search, direct recruitment, talent mapping, and research for senior leadership positions including C-Level, Executive Director, VP, Department Head, Director, and Senior Manager roles across all business sectors. Includes a six-month replacement guarantee if a hired individual is released for performance-related reasons.
• Diversity Solutions Corporate Diversity and Inclusion program design and diverse talent attraction strategy, drawing on experience running D&I programs for some of the nation's largest conglomerates, aimed at building diverse teams from qualified candidates regardless of gender, background, race, age, religion, or sexual orientation.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) End-to-end recruitment process outsourcing that scales talent acquisition functions and complements internal teams, covering talent attraction strategy, direct recruitment, candidate assessment, sourcing, talent mapping, screening, interviewing, research, and agency management under a vendor partnership framework linked to service-level agreements with review checkpoints.
• Recruitment Services Full end-to-end talent acquisition services for permanent or contract staff at all levels, including research and sourcing, resume screening and ranking, interviewing and assessment, and reference and background checks.
• Recruitment Training Customized training programs designed to develop high-impact talent advisor capabilities in client recruitment organizations, covering sourcing, boolean search, screening, interviewing, process optimization, and strategic advising.
• Talent Acquisition Research Research-based talent acquisition services using competitive market analysis, talent mapping, name and contact information generation, and direct recruitment via HSI Unisearch meta-crawling technology to produce potential candidate prospects from multiple online candidate repositories and databases.
• HSI UniSearch AI-powered meta-crawling search platform that searches across top candidate databases to produce top qualifiers for each job requirement, combining professional recruitment expertise with technology. Offered on a pay-per-completed-search or multi-use subscription model with a satisfaction guarantee (no invoice if hiring needs are not met).
• ContractTech Specialized division of HeadSource International providing premium contract technology staffing and business consulting services for the Information Technology industry, addressing the need for top-level technical staff on a contract basis.
• Outplacement for Employers Career transition services for departing employees offered to organizations, including resume writing, cover letter drafting, LinkedIn profile optimization, interview preparation, job search strategy development, and ongoing career coaching for displaced employees.
• Outplacement for Candidates Professional resume writing and career coaching services sold directly to individual job seekers — entry-level, professional, and executive resume writing; cover letter drafting; LinkedIn profile optimization; interview preparation coaching; and career coaching sessions in 1, 3, or 5-session packages via Skype or phone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% fill rate and 100% client retention rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup: Global workforce solutions company offering staffing, RPO, and career transition (outplacement) services. Overlaps with Headsource's RPO and outplacement offerings at significantly larger scale.
• Randstad: One of the world's largest staffing and HR services companies, operating across permanent placement, RPO, and outplacement globally. Broader incumbent that overlaps with multiple Headsource service lines.

Direct peers

• Hays plc: Global recruiting firm operating across professional and technical staffing with strong presence in multiple geographies. Competes with Headsource in permanent placement, contract staffing, and RPO engagements.
• Robert Half International: Large global staffing and recruitment firm specializing in finance, technology, and administrative placements. Competes with Headsource's ContractTech IT staffing division and broader professional placement services.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm focused on senior leadership placement. Direct competitor for the same C-level, executive director, and VP mandates that form a core of Headsource's executive search offering.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting and executive search firm where Headsource's founder previously led search practices. Direct competitor in executive search and RPO across multiple verticals and geographies, with vastly greater scale.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm directly competing with Headsource's premium executive search practice for C-level, VP, and senior management mandates across all business sectors.
• Insight Global: Large staffing and recruiting firm with strong IT staffing and contract technology placement capabilities. Direct competitor to Headsource's ContractTech subsidiary for contract tech staffing in North America.
• Spencer Stuart: Leading global executive search and leadership consulting firm. Competes with Headsource at the senior leadership and C-suite level with broader global reach and established enterprise relationships.

Emerging players

• SeekOut: AI-powered talent sourcing and recruitment platform. Competes directly with HSI Unisearch's value proposition of AI-augmented candidate sourcing, with stronger technology positioning and venture funding.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/headsourceintl
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeadSourceInternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/headsource-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Headsource International