# Account Mapping and Hiring-Signal Research: practice workbook
Talent Engineering Academy | An education initiative by Vitae
Edition 2026.09 | Updated 2026-09-24
Course: https://talentengineering.org/courses/account-mapping-signals

Map organisations and buying roles, then turn public changes into careful discovery hypotheses.

## Your deliverable
An account map and signal-to-question research brief.

Use fictional information. Keep your completed work in your own secure notes. Exercises and capstone work are self-directed, not independently assessed.

## 1. Account identity and operating units

Your notes:



## 2. Problem, budget and procurement roles

Your notes:



## 3. Signal, source and date

Your notes:



## 4. Alternative explanations

Your notes:



## 5. Relevant hiring hypothesis

Your notes:



## 6. Contact route and next question

Your notes:



## Lesson exercises

### 1. Understand the account structure

Draw a fictional account map with five roles and two unresolved authority questions.

Your response:


Worked example: A manufacturing group has central procurement but local plant hiring decisions. The map separates supplier approval from role sponsorship so the recruiter approaches the right process without bypassing established contacts.

Self-review guidance: Distinguish a person’s title from confirmed decision authority. Include internal talent acquisition as a stakeholder rather than assuming it is an obstacle to work around.

### 2. Interpret signals with alternative explanations

Analyse three fictional signals with two explanations each and a verification question.

Your response:


Worked example: A company advertises ten roles after an acquisition. This may reflect integration, replacement or expansion. The research brief asks which capability gaps matter rather than asserting a hiring crisis.

Self-review guidance: Keep facts, interpretations and questions in separate fields. A good question lets the buyer correct the hypothesis without first rejecting an exaggerated claim.

### 3. Prioritise accounts by fit and readiness

Prioritise six fictional accounts and explain the top two choices.

Your response:


Worked example: Two accounts fit the niche. One has a confirmed project and a relevant introduction; the other has only a two-year-old announcement. The first receives deeper research while the second remains in a lower-intensity review queue.

Self-review guidance: Show the evidence and uncertainty behind the ranking. If a small arbitrary weight change reverses the order, use judgement and more research rather than pretending the score is exact.

### 4. Maintain a signal-to-action workflow

Build a signal log with three outcomes and a refresh rule.

Your response:


Worked example: A site announcement leads to a conversation confirming that hiring will begin next spring. The account plan records a permissioned follow-up date and stops treating the signal as immediate demand.

Self-review guidance: Include confirmed no-need and future-timing outcomes. The next action should reflect what the buyer actually said, not the original automated trigger.

## Portfolio review
Check that your work is internally consistent, distinguishes facts from assumptions, names decision owners and explains its limitations. Revise gaps before using the method in real work.

## Further reading
- [CIPD: Recruitment](https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/factsheets/recruitment-factsheet/): Professional context for the recruitment lifecycle.
- [GOV.UK: Set up a business](https://www.gov.uk/set-up-business): UK starting point. Business structure and obligations depend on the circumstances.

Original educational scenarios. References provide further reading and do not imply endorsement. Check current official rules and appropriate professional advice for real legal, financial or regulated decisions.