Sport & leisure recruitment: talent that shares your passion
Equipment suppliers, clubs, federations, sports retail chains, entertainment rooms and operators: Cadran Talents recruits your executives and experts, by direct approach, in France and internationally. An interlocutor, zero complexity.
Need for recruiting in sport Without spending months there? We understand. The sector attracts a lot of applications, but few profiles bring together professional competence, result culture and field knowledge. That's exactly why Cadran Talents exists: bring you sports and leisure skills assessed and motivated, both in France and internationally, with a single interlocutor. Equipment manufacturers, clubs, federations, sports retail brands, entertainment rooms and operators: we know your trades.
At Cadran Talents, we believe that recruiting for sport requires more than an algorithm and a CV base. Understanding what makes a candidate vibrate, what it expects from a club, brand or sign, that is what makes it possible to present the right people, and make them stay. Whether you're looking for a sales manager, a store manager or a product manager, we speak the same language as your candidates.
Why the sport sector is so demanding
Sport and leisure form a separate industry: strong seasonality, fixed-date events, tight margins in retail, and a passion that attracts candidates sometimes more motivated by the image than by the mail. Beyond Enthusiasm, we need strong skills: product management, commerce, digital, exploitation, finance.
The sector lives from the relationship between brands, clubs, athletes and practitioners. But this passion is not enough to make a good recruitment. What works for an international equipment manufacturer is not necessarily suitable for a federation or a gym. That's where a fine knowledge of sport organisations becomes your advantage.
Sport organisations that recruit well are used to:
Structure their sales and marketing teams
Professionalize their support functions (finance, legal, HR)
Open new outlets or sites
Supporting the digital transformation of the fan and customer experience
Preparing for major events with ready-to-time teams
The profiles we recruit
Equipment and sports brands
Imagine having to recruit a product manager, key account manager and e-commerce manager in three months, to prepare a season. We accompany brands and equipment manufacturers on the product, marketing, commercial (large accounts, distribution network), supply chain and digital positions, from the confirmed executive to the management committee.
Clubs, leagues and federations
Where sport indicators make the front page, it is the shadow teams that make the organization run. We recruit general managers, business managers and partnerships, ticket and hospitality managers, marketing and communication managers, financial managers and event managers.
Some examples of recent positions:
Director of Partnerships for a Professional Club
Head of ticketing and spectator experience
Director of Development for a National Federation
Responsible for operations of a major international event
Retail sports, halls and leisure
Store and network managers, regional managers, category managers, managers of sports halls, managers of leisure sites. Field occupations where team management and quality of service make a difference, and where the volume of recruitment can be significant at openings.
Find out how we accompanied the opening of six shops in four months:
Our recruitment services for sport and leisure
Headhunt and executive search
For your management positions and strategic functions: general management, sales, marketing, financial management. Our confidential and targeted approach will look for the leaders in the field, in sport as well as in the neighbouring sectors (high consumption, retail, media) when the profile lends itself.
Direct approach
For managers and experts confirmed that they do not find it by advertisement. We map the target companies, personally approach the candidates and give you a qualified shortlist in three weeks on average.
Volume recruitment and openings
For an opening of stores, a new room or an event to be prepared: a dedicated team, an industrialised process and homogenous evaluation criteria, to recruit several dozen qualified people within a controlled time frame.
International recruitment
Are you developing abroad? Our network of partners in more than 25 countries allows us to recruit locally, with the same standards as in France, and to accompany the mobility of your employees when necessary.
Interim management
An unexpected start before the season, a transformation to be carried out, an event to be delivered: within ten days we offer an experienced manager for missions of three to twelve months.
Why a specialized firm makes a difference
The sport sector is evolving in an increasingly demanding environment. New consumption patterns, expectations of fans and practitioners, professionalization of organizations: understand trades and sports organisations counts more than ever:
Competition for talent is strong. The good business, marketing and digital profiles are also courted by other sectors. You need to know how to present your project and your culture to convince them.
Candidates' expectations are changing. The talents of sport want structured organisations, clear perspectives and quality management. Passion no longer compensates for everything.
Each recruitment involves the organization. A sales manager who doesn't perform, it's a season of compromised partnerships. A rigorous assessment is your best assurance.
Time limits are not being negotiated. A season, an event, an opening have a date. We are building our missions so that the right people are in place in time.
Our approach
1. Type of need
We begin by understanding exactly what you are looking for. A new job or a replacement? What skills are needed? What team culture? This framing guides everything else and gives rise to a shared brief.
2. Choice of method
Depending on your objectives, we recommend the most suitable combination of our recruitment solutions :
Direct approach for post and post profiles
Reference checks to secure senior recruitment
Onboarding & integration to succeed the first hundred days
Headhunting for management positions and confidential mandates
RPO for recruitment campaigns and openings
3. Sourcing and approach
Our consultants personally identify and contact the candidates who meet your criteria. Whether it is a profile from professional sport, retail or a neighbouring sector, we check the suitability before presenting it to you.
4. Evaluation
Consultants who are familiar with the sector conduct structured interviews, situations and reference checks. They know how to address sensitive topics, generate honest answers, and distinguish between passion for sport and real skills.
5. Shortlist, decision-making and integration
We don't deliver a stack of CVs. You receive a commented shortlist, with our recommendations and vigilance points. We organize the interviews, help you build the offer and follow integration.
What distinguishes Cadran Talents from other recruitment firms in sport
We are reliable, stubbornly. In sport, deadlines are not discussed. We deliver when we have said, every time. Without exception.
We're removing the complexity. Recruitment should not require an in-house project manager. Our process is simple: you focus on choosing, we manage everything else.
We think international. Our teams know that sport organisations differ from country to country. We adapt the approach locally while keeping the same evaluation requirement.
We're anticipating. Counteroffer, long notice, candidate who hesitates: we have already seen everything and we anticipate the difficulties before they become problems.
We bring more than résumés. A CV doesn't make a decision. We give you context, reasoned assessment and recommendations to choose in confidence.
Frequently asked questions
What profiles do you recruit in sport and leisure?
Executives and experts for equipment and sports brands, clubs, leagues and federations, sports retail chains, sports halls and leisure operators: general management, sales and partnerships, marketing and communication, product, digital and e-commerce, finance, operations and events, store and network management.
How much does a recruitment in sport cost?
Our fees depend on the level of the position, the scarcity of the profile and the geographical scope. They are expressed as a percentage of gross annual remuneration. For volume campaigns, we offer a suitable price. You receive a clear proposal within 48 hours.
What methods do you use?
Direct approach, headhunting, volume recruitment, reference checks, interim management and integration support. The correct method depends on the position: the direct approach to the profiles in place, the hunting of heads for management positions, the recruitment of volume for openings.
Why go through a specialized firm rather than an advertisement?
Because sport attracts a lot of low-skilled candidates and the best profiles are in place. A firm that knows the sector knows where to look, how to evaluate and how to convince. You save time and reduce the risk of error.
Are you recruiting profiles from other sectors?
Yes, often. Retail, consumerism, media and digital are valuable pools for sport organisations. We assess the candidate's ability to adapt to the specific culture and constraints of the sector.
Do you work with clubs and federations?
Yes. We accompany professional clubs, leagues, federations and event organizers on their leadership, business, marketing, financial and operational functions. We do not recruit athletes or coaches.
How do you assess the candidates?
Through structured interviews, job-specific situations, verification of achievements and reference checks with former managers. You will receive a detailed summary for each candidate.
Can you recruit for an opening or an event?
Yes. Our volume recruitment teams and our RPO offer are designed for these situations: several dozen qualified recruitments within a fixed time frame, with weekly reporting and careful candidate experience.
Are you intervening internationally?
Yes. Thanks to our network of partners in more than 25 countries, we recruit locally with the same standards as in France and we support the mobility of your employees. A single contact person coordinates the whole.
How long does it take to hire?
On average, three weeks for a first qualified shortlist and six to ten weeks until signature, depending on the notice. For a interim management, a manager can be in office within ten days.
Ready to strengthen your teams?
Stop running after the candidacy. Let's talk about your next recruitment: a conversation, and we take over.
