Working with a recruiting firm is a significant investment. You're trusting an external partner with your company's most valuable asset: its people. If that firm isn’t bringing clear value, taking work off your plate, and consistently delivering the right talent, then it’s not the right partnership. A recruiter’s job isn’t just to send you resumes. It’s to act as a trusted advisor, advocate for your brand, and to secure the best possible hire.
Here’s what you should be getting from your recruiting firm. If you’re not, it’s probably time to start looking elsewhere.
Deep Discovery Before the Search Starts
Before a single resume is sent, your recruiter should spend meaningful time with the hiring or HR/TA manager to deeply understand what you’re looking for: technically, culturally, and organizationally. They should know how your interview process works and what’s most important to you in a candidate. But that conversation should go both ways: a great recruiter educates you, too. If your expectations aren’t realistic for the current market, they should have the market expertise (and confidence) to tell you. You’re paying a premium — not for a yes-man, but for an expert.
Clear, Early, and Accurate Compensation Guidance
There should be no guesswork when it comes to compensation. Your recruiter should be able to tell you exactly what the candidates they represent expect (salary, bonus, total comp, etc.). If expectations shift, they should alert you immediately and be able to explain why.
Transparent Insights on Every Candidate’s Deal Breakers
Beyond salary, a good recruiter knows the full picture:
- Does the candidate expect more PTO than you offer?
- Are there relocation costs or expectations around what gets reimbursed?
- Are they tied to a tuition reimbursement repayment clause?
- Do they have a non-compete that might preclude them from accepting a role with your organization?
You should never be caught off guard by these details late in the process.
Real Motivation, Not Just Availability
You don’t want candidates who are just willing to make a move. You want candidates who are motivated to make a move, and specifically to your company. Your recruiting firm should be able to articulate exactly why a candidate is exploring new opportunities and/or why they’re interested in your position in particular.
Candid Feedback and Strategic Problem Solving
Recruiters should be your eyes and ears during the interview process. That means proactively sharing candidate concerns and collaborating with you on how to address them. Are they worried about your org chart? Commute? Expectations? Interview experience? To overcome objections, you must first understand what they are.
Clear Competitive Intel
Your recruiter should know any other opportunities the candidate is considering and be able to share that information with you. This benefits both you, the employer, and the candidate. In most cases, they should know what other companies they are interviewing with, the titles of the roles they’re considering, and how those opportunities compare to yours in the candidate’s eyes. If another offer comes in, you should know what it is, when a decision is due, and whether your candidate would prefer an offer from you instead. That’s not optional. That’s table stakes.
True Partnership That Lightens Your Load
Coordinating interviews. Conducting reference checks. Following up with candidates on missing info. If your recruiter isn’t removing tasks from your plate, they’re doing it wrong. A great recruiting firm makes your life easier, not harder. They also understand that filling your open position likely isn’t your top priority. You have a whole job to do – hiring is just one component of it.
Resume Submissions That Actually Make Sense
If you're consistently passing on resumes without scheduling interviews, that's a red flag. It means your recruiter doesn’t understand the role, or worse, hasn’t tried to. You should want to interview most of the candidates they send. Period. At the very least, if you’re passing on most resumes, your recruiting firm should be initiating a call to gain a better understanding of what you’re looking for and how they’re missing the mark.
Extending Offers on Your Behalf
When the time comes to make an offer, in most cases it makes the most sense for your recruiter to take the lead. Why? Because they’ve built a relationship with the candidate, and they’re best positioned to navigate the negotiation, manage expectations, and close the deal. They should also anticipate counter offers and/or competing offers and prepare both you and the candidate to address them. This isn’t about persuasion — it’s about smart, strategic planning, coaching, and collaboration.
They Should Close the Deal — Not Just Hope It Closes
Hope isn’t a strategy and offer acceptances shouldn’t feel like a coin toss. Your recruiter should secure the right candidate most of the time. If they’re losing more offers than they’re closing, something is broken in their process. Certainly, we all run into extenuating circumstances from time to time that prevent securing an acceptance but that should be the exception, not the rule.
They Stay Engaged After the Offer is Accepted
Once your candidate accepts, your recruiter’s job isn’t over. They should keep in touch throughout the notice period, help manage the risk of counter offers or cold feet, and keep you informed. After the new hire starts, a good recruiter checks in to ensure they’re adjusting well and committed. That post-start support can be the difference between a lasting hire and an early exit.
There’s no excuse for mediocrity in recruiting. If your current search firm isn’t doing the above — not some of it, but all of it — they’re not holding up their end of the bargain. In this hiring climate, you can’t afford to settle for transactional recruiters. You need a partner who’s proactive, informed, honest, and invested in your success. If you’re not getting that, it’s time to make a change.