Behind the Scenes

One of the most common complaints I hear about recruiters is, “I had one call or interview, and then I never heard from them again.” I’d like to shed some light on what’s happening behind the scenes to help manage job seekers’ expectations.

To start, let’s clarify the roles of different types of recruiters: Corporate Recruiters: These professionals work directly for the company they’re hiring for, usually as part of the human resources department. If you’re hired, they become your colleagues. Agency Recruiters (3rd Party): These recruiters work for staffing agencies or recruiting firms. They act as vendors or partners to companies, like how a business might outsource IT services or tax preparation.

Recruiting is a fast-paced, deadline-driven job that requires constant multitasking and prioritization. During the busiest periods, it’s akin to a real estate agent trying to sell multiple properties in a speed-dating scenario. Here are some key points to consider:

• Workload: Recruiters often juggle 10 or more job orders at once.
• Candidate Sourcing: They pull candidates from a variety of sources—job boards, websites, applicant tracking systems (ATS), customer relationship management (CRM) tools, internal databases, career fairs, previous candidates, and personal/professional networks, including referrals.
• Throughput Ratio: The number of candidates a recruiter contacts before securing an accepted offer can vary widely. On average, I contact around 50 candidates per job order, but I’ve had situations where I’ve reached out to over 500.
• Contingent Basis: Most agency recruiters work on a contingent basis, meaning they only get paid if one of their candidates is hired. If no one is hired, all the effort goes unpaid (no fill, no fee – all the work was done for free). Statistically, less than 20% of contingent job orders are filled, which is why agencies often take on a high volume of job orders.
• Prioritization: Agencies prioritize their job orders based on urgency and potential return. For example: A-level: Requires a candidate submission today. B-level: Requires a candidate submission within the week. C-level: Submissions can wait until A and B obligations are fulfilled.

The prioritization is influenced by several factors, including the potential margin, job order age, competition, internal expertise, client relationship (existing vs. new), payment terms, job requirements, and the interviewing process.

Understanding these dynamics can help recalibrate expectations and provide insight into why you might not hear back immediately—or at all. It’s not always a reflection of your candidacy but rather a result of the complex and competitive nature of the recruiting process.