Your Trusted Partner in Building High-Impact Teams
Our Mission:
We help bold companies innovate and scale by recruiting the people who make it possible.
Exceptional talent transforms organizations. We make those connections with care, precision, and purpose. We are driven to help ambitious companies scale by building the teams that fuel discovery, innovation, and growth in mission-driven businesses.
At TalentSwell, our mission isn’t just about making hires, it’s about supporting and partnering with startups and scaling businesses that are making a meaningful, positive difference in the world. We partner with ambitious organizations and extraordinary talent to accelerate innovation, growth, and impact. And because recruiting is a people business, we bring the same level of care, clarity, and commitment to every relationship. And our values are how we put that mission into practice, every single day.
How We Show Up
At TalentSwell, we know your recruiting partner is a direct extension of your brand, your reputation, your mission, and your vision for the future. That’s why our values are more than words on a page. They are the principles that shape how we listen, collaborate, and deliver results that truly matter.
Recruiting is, at its core, about people. It is about building trust, understanding what drives each client and candidate, and creating connections that fuel lasting impact. Our values guide us to show up with care, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
For the ambitious and mission driven companies we serve, this means something different. In a recruiting world that can feel transactional, our values create a more aligned and meaningful experience for clients, the candidates we engage, and the exceptional teams we help build that power their missions.
Our Values
Lead With Purpose.
We are energized by mission-driven work and align with organizations shaping a better future.
Make Every Hire Count.
We match exceptional talent with extraordinary companies.
Raise the Standard.
We bring care, depth, and precision to every search. No shortcuts, only outstanding results.
Do What’s Right.
We operate with transparency and integrity because trust is the foundation of every great partnership.
Stay Curious.
We ask thoughtful questions and challenge assumptions to uncover better outcomes and tailored solutions.
Build Human Connection.
Recruiting is about people. We build deep relationships rooted in empathy, communication, and shared purpose.
What makes TalentSwell different
Deeper search expertise with executive experience
We understand what it takes to build teams that fuel innovation and growth. Drawing on our deep experience in building high-performance talent acquisition functions, internal recruiting teams, and executive search capabilities for highly successful growth-stage businesses, we bring a level of sophistication typically found in larger organizations to early-stage businesses. With every search managed by a principal-level recruiting executive, partnering with TalentSwell means gaining a recruiting ally with deep recruiting expertise that’s committed to finding the talent your team needs to achieve your mission.
Built for startups and growth-stage companies
Collaborating with TalentSwell means accessing a wealth of recruiting experience specifically curated for startups and growth-centric businesses. By tailoring our approach to the unique challenges and opportunities of early-stage companies, we deliver customized solutions that align with your goals and accelerate your growth. As a trusted search partner, we specialize in uncovering and securing the best talent to drive your organization forward. We recognize that traditional recruiting methods often fall short in dynamic environments where agility, innovation, and cultural fit are paramount, and making the right hire can often be transformative.
Powerful messaging, unmatched reach
TalentSwell inspires executives and seasoned professionals to engage by crafting irresistible value propositions that spark interest and ignite excitement about your opportunities. We specialize in reaching passive candidates—those who typically don’t respond to recruiter outreach—and turning curiosity into commitment. Our tailored approach and outreach methods ensure that your roles reach and resonate with top-tier talent, effectively showcasing what sets your organization apart. From the initial conversation to the final offer, we build meaningful connections that drive results and help you secure exceptional talent to propel your business.
Develop and build a scalable recruiting function
You deserve a recruiting strategy and function as unique as your vision and team. Traditional recruiting models often fall short of meeting the nuanced needs of growing companies. At TalentSwell, we combine deep industry expertise with innovative approaches to deliver exceptional results tailored to your goals. Our fully customizable search and talent acquisition consulting services are designed to adapt to your business, helping you make exceptional hires, build the right team, and develop and optimize your in-house recruitment function.
Meet our Founder
David McMichael
My obsession with recruiting, dedication to building innovative business, and passion for connecting mission-driven organizations with top talent inspired me to build TalentSwell, the type of recruiting firm I felt many startups and high-growth businesses were missing.
Professional Background
20+ years progressive recruiting experience, including more than 10 years in recruiting executive roles, in biotech, digital health, life sciences, and tech
Built a high-performing recruiting function and developed internal search capabilities for a high-growth biotech startup that doubled the size of the team as the company prepared for commercialization (acquired for $4.1B)
Built recruiting 0-to-1 for healthcare innovation startup, recruited C-level and clinical executives, scaled the talent acquisition team from Seed to Series C, and grew team by more than 10X to 500 team members in 3.5 years
Head of Global Talent Acquisition Operations for health and life sciences technology pioneer that powered advancements in human health as the team scaled from 3.7K to 6.2K employees and $1.9B to $2.8B in revenue
Cultivated global recruitment consulting team at LinkedIn during hyper-growth stage (team grew 2K to 9K and revenue grew $500M to $3B), clients included some of the fastest and most dynamic technology companies on the planet (e.g., Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook), and won the Global Rookie of the Year Award
Served as Head of the Talent Acquisition COE for Fortune 500 technology business hiring >10K employees per year, as revenues grew from $7.8B to $10.8B