Instant Expert vs SeekOut: sourcing, old applicants and paid outreach

Choose SeekOut for repeatable candidate sourcing and recruiting campaigns. Consider Instant Expert when you want to pay selected people for an introduction. Both can help you reach professionals, but they charge for different work.

The important SeekOut buying detail is ATS export versus ATS rediscovery. Sending a profile into your recruiting system is not the same as searching the candidates already stored there.

What SeekOut's plans include

SeekOut's pricing page lists Recruit Core at $179 billed monthly, or $149 per month paid annually upfront—$1,788 a year. Core includes 500 monthly contact credits, 1,000 monthly exports and multi-step email campaigns.

ATS export is included in Core. ATS integration and rediscovery appear in the custom-priced Sourcing + Integration package and above. If finding past applicants is the reason you are buying, ask for that package to be demonstrated and quoted.

Instant Expert uses people search or known-contact import, followed by a paid call or reply request. You review each selected person's price. A contact credit buys a different thing from an offer to compensate someone for their time.

Example: a past finalist fits a changed role

Suppose you previously rejected an analyst because a job required substantial infrastructure work. Six months later, a new opening is mostly SQL modelling and collaboration with finance. That person's background may now fit.

A useful SeekOut demo should start with the new job and some permitted historical records. Choose one former finalist who deserves another look and one who still lacks an essential skill.

Ask the vendor to show:

• How the search finds those people alongside external candidates.
• How you can see why each person did not advance last time.
• How the recruiter identifies the current candidate record.
• What context is available before sending a new message.

The value of rediscovery is remembering something useful, not merely finding the same name twice.

Offer a paid conversation about the change

If you already know whom you want to approach, you can import selected contacts into Instant Expert using email, LinkedIn URL, or name and company. Check the matched profiles before preparing invitations.

For a past finalist, a message might say:

We spoke about an infrastructure-heavy role earlier this year. This opening focuses on analytics modelling and working with finance. Would you consider a paid 15-minute call about the new scope?

Add the actual responsibilities, working arrangement and salary range. Explain what changed instead of pretending the earlier conversation never happened. For someone new, describe the relevant background that prompted your invitation.

A short paid reply can also ask whether the opportunity interests them; the recipient chooses text or voice. Either way, acceptance covers the exchange, not a commitment to apply.

Start with SeekOut when a recruiting team needs ongoing sourcing or access to past applicants. Start with the invitation when the people are already identified and the next useful step is a direct conversation.