Recruiting: a guide for pros
What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.
Offering recruiting
You find and screen candidates for client roles, present a shortlist and coordinate interviews until the client makes a hire. Your value is a shortlist that fits the role and a process the client trusts.
What customers ask
- How long will it take to find a candidate who fits this role?
- How many candidates will you show me, and how do you screen them?
- What do you charge, and when is it due?
- What if the hire does not work out in the first months?
- How do you protect candidates' personal information?
How to win the job
- On the first call, ask for the must have skills, the nice to have skills, the day to day tasks, the reporting line and the decision maker, and repeat them back in writing.
- Send the client a role brief for approval before you search, so the shortlist is measured against the agreed requirements.
- Show a sample candidate summary with strengths, gaps and interview notes, so the client sees the format.
- Set the screening steps and the timeline in the quote, including who checks references and who runs skills tests.
- Ask for fast feedback after each interview, and set a deadline for the client to give it.
- Explain the fee and the guarantee terms in the quote, including what happens if the candidate leaves early.
What to put on your profile
- List the industries and role types you recruit for, such as technical, sales or office roles.
- Describe your screening method in plain steps, so clients can see how candidates are checked.
- Name the sourcing channels you use, in general terms, such as job boards, referrals and direct outreach.
Follow-up that helps the customer
- Check in with the client and the new hire at thirty days to confirm the start went well.
- Offer a review of the role brief if the job changes after the hire.
- Suggest a plan for the client's future hiring, such as a pipeline of candidates for roles that repeat.
Licenses and permits
Some places regulate employment agencies and placement fees, so check your state or local rules before you charge a fee. Keep a current business registration and any agency registration the rules require, and confirm that your candidate screening follows the hiring laws in the places where you work.
Questions
Do I need a license to recruit?
It depends on where you work and how you charge. Some places license employment agencies. Check with your state or local labor or licensing agency before you take a fee.
How do I handle a client who wants to reject candidates for reasons they will not state?
Ask the client to tie each rejection to the role requirements. Keep the reasons in your records, and advise the client on the rules that apply to the decision.
What records should I keep?
Keep the role brief, each candidate's screening notes, the interview feedback and the offer details, so the search can be reviewed later.
Pro reviewers
Pros who offer recruiting remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.
Edit history
- Oct 29, 2026: Drafted by infinibell to our content guidelines.
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