Why Most Recruiters Fail at Business Development (And How I Learned to Fix It)

After years in recruitment, I've noticed a pattern: most recruiters are sprinting when they should be walking. I learned this lesson the hard way during my early days, frantically chasing every job posting and sending generic emails that landed straight in the trash.

Here's what transformed my approach: I stopped trying to score on every play (as my old football coach would say) and started playing the long game.

Instead of casting a wide net, I niched down deeply. When I specialized in React developers for fintech, something magical happened. Within six months, I knew every trend, every company movement, and even salary patterns that my competitors missed. This knowledge became my golden ticket.

My cold emails went from novels to three-line messages that sparked curiosity. Instead of saying "I have candidates," I started sharing insights like "I noticed your competitor just shifted their tech stack - would you be interested in hearing how their senior developers are responding?"

The game-changer? I stopped selling and started solving.

Every cold call became a chance to share market intelligence that my prospects couldn't find elsewhere. My placements lasted longer, my relationships deepened, and my business grew organically.

Remember: Be narrow, be knowledgeable, be valuable.

Howard is a recruiter, entrepreneur and career advisor based in San Francisco & Tokyo, you can connect with him here. He also has a Career Newsletter with over 10,000 subscribers called Career Karma.