3 steps to a more effective hiring agency partnership

This blog is not for you, if:

1. You don’t get poorly shortlisted candidates
2. You don’t get poorly formatted resumes
3. You don't worry whether your hiring partners really understand your needs
4. Your in-house developers don’t complain about unworthy interview conversations

For the rest of you, welcome to the club: why am I spending so much money on a recruitment agency AND still not getting my dream hire?

See, not all recruitment agencies are created equal. And not all recruitment agencies can actually become your hiring partner. Because honestly, there is a very low barrier to entry in this field. Then again, most recruiters have a non-tech background. So, they often aren’t in a position to understand or match your exact hiring needs.

But there is a way to work with this.

There is a simple 3-point checklist that helps you make your recruitment partner actually work for you.

1. Share a 10-point objective wishlist

Each role functions in the context of your organization. So, though “hire a junior developer with 0-2 PQE” may seem like a fair hiring requirement, it is not enough. A junior dev's responsibilities vary significantly between product and service companies, startups, and enterprises.

Only you know what you want this junior developer to do for your organization. You already have an ideal candidate in mind - the skills, traits, past experiences, etc that would make someone a success in this role. Now, translate this into a concrete list of 10 parameters. Share this with your hiring partner. Tell them that each resume they send you must be a match between 8-10. This approach changes vague notions into clear, actionable criteria. It eliminates subjectivity and guesswork.

This is what a recommendation looks like. It is a thoughtful consideration of what you need, and what the candidate can provide. You don’t have to settle for resume forwards that make no sense, because this list is your way of removing any sort of subjectivity.

2. Don’t drop the ball on drop-offs.

Be very careful about the drop-off rates, especially in the initial couple of rounds. While achieving zero drop-offs is unrealistic, you should have an acceptable upper limit.

For instance, if 50% of candidates drop out before the first interview, you're wasting half your time on unqualified or uninterested applicants. Apart from the obvious financial loss here, it costs you potential great hires who might lose interest due to a slow process.

Ideally, keep your upper limit to 25%. If you're exceeding this, it's time to investigate.

Are job descriptions accurate? Is the recruiter overselling the role? Are candidates being properly screened?

Hold your recruitment partner accountable for this metric. They should be able to explain high drop-off rates and have strategies to improve. Remember, their job is to deliver interested, qualified candidates—not just flood you with resumes.

3. Clearly communicate the bare minimum.

There's nothing more frustrating than interviewing a candidate who knows nothing about your company or the role they've applied for. It wastes your time and indicates a lack of genuine interest from the applicant. Your recruitment partner should be your first line of defense against this.

So, set the expectations straight from the very beginning. What is the bare minimum you require anyone to do?

• Know about your company
• Understand the role
• Be curious/interested in what you are building
• At least 2 thoughtful questions at the end of the interview.

Share this with your recruitment partner. Let them know the green flags you look for, the red flags you avoid at all costs. Recruitment agencies work with you as well as the talent - they are in a position to convey this to candidates. This allows you to have a much more productive conversation.

A candidate who hasn't bothered to prepare is unlikely to be the passionate, engaged employee you're looking for. So, don't hesitate to give feedback to your recruitment partner if candidates consistently come unprepared. It's a clear sign that they're not doing their job in qualifying and preparing applicants properly.

You’re allowed to break up

Don't fall into the sunk cost fallacy. Just because you've invested time with an agency doesn't mean you should continue if they're underperforming.

The goal is finding the right talent efficiently, and an agency that can't adapt to your needs is holding you back. If you've provided feedback and seen no improvement, it's time to reconsider the partnership. After all, every delayed hire impacts your team's productivity. And a recruitment partner who truly understands this will strive to exceed your expectations, not just meet the bare minimum.