Hand-matched shortlist
Get candidates recommended for your brief and introduced to you by the team's own matchers, rather than searching alone.
On this pageWhat it is
What it is
A hand-matched shortlist means a person at the vendor reads your brief, picks suitable candidates and introduces them to you. You do not browse thousands of profiles yourself. For example, you describe a part-time marketing analyst role, and a few days later you receive a handful of vetted profiles to interview. Toptal and Upwork list this feature.
Why it matters
Searching a large marketplace is slow, and judging profiles takes experience you may not have in that field. A human matcher can filter on skills and availability and flag who is worth a call. This suits busy owners hiring for roles they know less about. If you know exactly who you want or enjoy searching, it adds little.
What to check
- Is matching included, or does it cost extra or require a minimum spend?
- How quickly are the first candidates presented, and how many do you receive?
- Who does the matching, and what do they know about your field?
- Can you ask for different candidates if the first ones do not fit?
Tools with Hand-matched shortlist
A freelance marketplace where you post a job, compare proposals and pay independent specialists through escrow.
A vetted network of freelance developers, designers and finance experts that you hire on a trial basis.