Working with a recruiter should make your life easier—faster hires, less stress, better candidates, and more time for you to focus on what you do best.
But here’s the honest truth: recruiters can only deliver that value if they’re brought in as true partners—not just a backup plan when your internal efforts fall short.
As a hands-on staffing agency with in-office teams (not remote workers) working across the country in actual brick and motor offices, we’ve seen firsthand what works—and what doesn’t—when companies engage with outside recruiters. This guide shares how to get the best results from your recruiter, while also helping you understand what happens behind the scenes when the process breaks down.
1. Treat Recruiters as Strategic Partners, Not “Last Resort” Helpers
The most successful hiring outcomes happen when a recruiter is given the opportunity to fully own the search. Meaning, we’re not here to duplicate your internal efforts—we’re here to replace the burden of recruiting so you can focus elsewhere. Your efforts should honestly STOP when you engage a recruiter.
But here’s what often happens instead: A client asks for our help, and we prioritize the role immediately. We launch ads, invest in sourcing tools, and assign our in-office team to begin outreach. Then, days later, we’re told the role has been filled—often without the candidates we submitted being reviewed or contacted.
This isn’t just frustrating—it’s counterproductive. By engaging us and continuing internal interviews without telling us, it sets up duplication of effort and wastes valuable time.
How to partner better: Be upfront about whether you’re continuing your own outreach. If you’re pausing internal efforts to let us run point, let us know. Transparency is everything.
2. Understand the Human Effort Behind Every Job Order
When you hand us a role, here’s what actually happens:
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- We invest time and money—posting ads, searching databases, and screening.
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- Our U.S.-based, in-office recruiters (not remote contractors) work your role with urgency.
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- We interview and vet candidates to ensure they’re truly a fit—not just for the job description, but for your company culture.
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- We write tailored candidate summaries—you’re not just getting resumes; you’re getting insight.
On average, each position requires 10–15 hours of focused recruiter time before the first interview is even scheduled.
So when the position is filled without warning, and we’ve already spent those hours, the loss isn’t just financial—it’s human. We’re real people, showing up daily, investing in your success. That matters.
3. Realize the Impact on Candidates—and Your Brand
Your recruiter isn’t the only one impacted when communication breaks down—your candidates are, too.
When we present someone to your job:
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- They believe they’re being seriously considered.
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- They prep, hope, and wait for next steps.
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- They trust that we’re guiding them through a legitimate process.
When the job is filled and they were never contacted—or worse, when they hear from us for the first time that it’s off the table—it reflects poorly not just on us, but on you.
It breeds distrust. Some candidates even bypass us and apply directly next time—creating messy situations and eroding confidence in the entire process.
How to partner better: Let us know if you’re near a hire so we can pause our outreach. Respect for the candidate experience goes a long way—and protects your employer brand too.
4. Use the Right Tool for the Job—And Let It Do the Work
We’re not here to compete with your job ads. We’re here to:
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- Find passive talent that isn’t applying to job boards.
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- Screen for more than just keywords.
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- Accelerate hiring without draining your team’s time.
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- SAVE YOU MONEY ON THE JOB ADS – SO TAKE THEM DOWN!!
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- Keep them on our internal job board but there’s no reason to give money to Indeed, ZipRecruiter and everyone else when you’ve asked us to do that and we’re spending the money for you!
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- SAVE YOU MONEY ON THE JOB ADS – SO TAKE THEM DOWN!!
But to do that well, we need space and time to deliver. Giving us 2–5 days to try and fill a role—while continuing your own recruiting behind the scenes is like hiring a contractor to build a deck, but while they’re cutting the wood, you’re out there nailing boards into place—out of order and off plan.
How to partner better: If you’re serious about outsourcing a search, give your recruiter a realistic timeline—at least 7–10 days for a proper shortlist. That’s when the real magic happens.
5. Recognize What You’re Paying (and Not Paying) For
Here’s what many don’t realize: we only get paid when you hire our candidate. No retainers. No fees for time spent. That means we’re working on risk, while still covering:
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- Recruiter salaries
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- Office space and overhead
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- Job ad costs and sourcing tools
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- The hours it takes to deliver a great match
If the role gets filled elsewhere and we were never told, that’s time and money we never recover. Just like you wouldn’t let a client run you in circles without payment, we can’t keep giving away free labor without respect for the value behind it.
That’s why many agencies are beginning to ask for retainers or exclusive search windows—not to nickel-and-dime you, but to protect time and prioritize the clients who truly want to partner.
What Great Clients Do Differently
If you want to get the absolute best out of your recruiter, here’s what works:
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- Communicate early and clearly. Let us know where you are in your internal search.
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- Give us a fair window to perform. Strong placements take more than 48 hours.
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- Pause internal efforts if we’re engaged. Or at least let us know they’re ongoing.
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- Be open to feedback. We’re in the market daily. Use our expertise.
- Treat us like a partner. When that respect flows both ways, the results speak for themselves.
The Bigger Picture
Greg Savage said it best: “If every client who heaps abuse on recruiters for ‘wasting my time’ did an honest little balance sheet of who wasted whose time the most through the process, I know where the deficit would be.”
Recruiting is not button-clicking. It’s skilled, human work. And it only works when both sides are committed.
Let’s make this partnership stronger, clearer, and more successful—for both of us.
Sources Referenced:
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- Greg Savage, “Time For Recruiters To Stand Proud” (2024)
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- Michael Spiro, “The Real Truth About Working With Recruiters” (Updated 2018)