Your candidates aren't keywords. Stop searching like they are.
Yena's smart vector matching understands career trajectories, industry context, and leadership profiles — not just job titles. Built for retained search firms who place executives, not process applicants.
Generic recruitment software wasn't built for how you work.
Executive search runs on relationships, discretion, and nuance. Most ATS platforms were designed to process applicants at volume. That mismatch costs you time, candidates, and mandates.
Manual Operations
Admin work consumes time that should go toward building relationships with C-suite candidates and client stakeholders.
Fragmented Tools
LinkedIn here, email there, notes in a spreadsheet, pipeline in the ATS. Context gets lost between every tool switch.
Not Built for AI
Legacy systems bolt on "AI features" as afterthoughts. Real AI matching requires architecture designed for it from day one.
No Confidentiality
Executive searches demand discretion. Most ATS platforms have no concept of blind profiles, NDA tracking, or restricted access.
"Our old ATS was built for companies processing 500 applications per role. We run 15 confidential C-suite searches simultaneously. Completely different discipline."
Smart vector matching that understands context, not keywords.
When a client says "we need someone who's taken a company through IPO preparation in the DACH market," that's not a keyword search. It's a complex web of experience, industry context, and leadership capability.
Yena's vector matching converts every candidate profile and search mandate into rich mathematical representations. A candidate who "led the finance function through Series C and subsequent IPO filing" matches — even when those exact words don't appear in the search brief.
Ranked by semantic relevance · No boolean required
Everything an executive search firm needs. Nothing it doesn't.
Smart Vector Matching
AI understands what "IPO-ready CFO with SaaS experience" actually means. Not keyword matching — semantic understanding of career trajectories, industry context, and leadership style.
Confidential Search Controls
Blind profiles, NDA tracking, restricted-access mandates. Your clients expect discretion. The software enforces it, not leaves it to process.
Relationship Timelines
Every coffee, call, and introduction logged across 18+ months of relationship building. Pick up any conversation exactly where you left off.
Stakeholder Coordination
Board members, hiring committees, HR directors — all with different access levels, all seeing the same candidate pipeline in real time.
LinkedIn Chrome Extension
Source candidates directly from LinkedIn profiles. One click imports contact details, work history, and starts the relationship timeline.
Pipeline Analytics
Time-to-shortlist, conversion by source, client satisfaction scores. The metrics that matter for retained search, not transactional KPIs.
GDPR & SOC 2 Type I
EU-hosted data, consent management, automated retention policies. Compliant by design, not by afterthought. SOC 2 Type I certified.
24-Hour Setup
No 6-month implementation projects. Import your data, configure your pipeline, and run your first search within a day. Free migration support included.
How Yena compares.
Honest comparison. We're better at some things, not everything.
| Feature | Yena | Legacy ATS | Spreadsheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Candidate Matching | Smart vector matching — semantics, not just keywords | Boolean keyword search or basic filters | Manual review of every CV |
| Relationship Tracking | Full timeline with every interaction across 18+ months | Basic notes field, often lost during updates | Scattered across email, calendar, memory |
| Confidentiality Controls | Built-in blind profiles, NDA tracking, access restrictions | Workarounds using tags or separate databases | None — one shared file, one leak away |
| Stakeholder Management | Multi-role access with real-time pipeline visibility | Email reports, PDF exports, phone calls | Email attachments, version conflicts |
| GDPR Compliance | Automated consent, retention, right-to-erasure | Manual compliance processes, audit risk | Non-compliant by design |
| Setup Time | 24 hours, free data migration | 3-6 months, professional services fees | Instant, but you pay forever in lost time |
| Pricing | €49-99/user/month | €150-300+/user/month | Free, until you count the hours |
We're honest: Bullhorn handles high-volume temp staffing better. If you run 500+ concurrent contingency roles, look there. For retained executive search, Yena was built for you.
See detailed Yena vs Bullhorn comparisonTransparent pricing. No enterprise sales calls required.
Most executive search software hides pricing behind "contact sales" buttons. We don't.
For solo consultants and small firms
- Smart vector matching
- CRM & pipeline management
- LinkedIn Chrome extension
- GDPR compliance tools
- Free data migration
For growing executive search practices
- Everything in Starter
- Confidential search controls
- Stakeholder coordination
- Pipeline analytics & reports
- Priority support
For multi-practice search firms
- Everything in Professional
- Custom workflows & fields
- API access & integrations
- Dedicated account manager
- SSO & advanced security
Compare that to legacy platforms at €150-300+ per user. All plans include free migration and 24-hour setup.
"We moved from Bullhorn after 5 years. The vector matching found candidates for a CHRO search that we'd had in our database for years but never surfaced with boolean searches."
"The confidentiality controls alone justified the switch. Our board-level searches require absolute discretion, and Yena handles that natively — not as a workaround."
"Setup took half a day. Our previous ATS migration was a 4-month project. I still can't believe the difference."