THE TRUTH About Hiring Agency Recruiters & What They ACTUALLY Want

This video is about 2024 hiring trends for recruitment agency managers and owners. I'm Jessica Kimber, a recruiter with over 16 years of experience, placing over 2,000 people into employment worldwide and generating over $20 million in revenue. I own a recruitment agency and a company called Rare, offering personal branding and training programs for recruiters.

The Importance of Flexibility in Hiring

Great recruiters have an abundance of choice. High billers can walk into any company and get hired, so they've got a choice of who they want to work with. When interviewing recruiters, be very open to the type of person, the level of skill, and what you're able to offer them. I often see recruiters reject almost perfect roles just because the company won't offer that one specific thing they're looking for. Remember, you're interviewing the candidate, but the highest billers need to be sold to as well. Make sure 50% of your interview is selling your company.

Top 5 Trends in Recruiter Preferences

1. Base and Commission

Salary package is crucial. Many recruiters are money-motivated, but there's burnout in the industry. I've had million-dollar billers willing to take a 50% pay cut to go internal because they're sick of the stress and instability. To keep agency recruiters, offer competitive base salaries and commission structures that outweigh internal recruitment benefits. Remember, nobody wants to hit all their targets but still get the same amount of money as a base in talent acquisition with a 9 to 5 schedule.

2. Job Flow and Database

Experienced recruiters often avoid cold desks. If you want to build out a different area or desk, consider that this might be unattractive to experienced recruiters who've already earned their stripes elsewhere. A cold desk means losing out on commission and doubling their challenges. Instead, consider training someone with a sales background for cold desks. If you have some job flow or an existing database, even if the desk is relatively cold, it makes the role more attractive.

3. Cold Desks

If you must offer a cold desk, make it as attractive as possible. Build a database and warm it up slightly. I advise my boutique agency clients to hire a VA to do market mapping and import contact details. As a director or manager, slightly warm the desk up so there's something to go at. This momentum creates a more attractive opportunity. Without any job flow or database, it's tough to persuade someone to join you.

4. Flexibility

Flexibility is critical now. The most common structure I see is offering work-from-home days after probation or when billing targets are met. For experienced recruiters, this might not be enough. If you can offer flexibility from month one, after the initial training period, it's a much more attractive opportunity. Most recruiters understand the need for initial in-office training but want flexibility for day-to-day work afterwards.

5. Internal Recruitment Appeal

Many recruiters want to go internal, not because they're "failed recruiters," but due to burnout and the appeal of an easier life for the same salary. Internal roles often offer flexible working arrangements from day one, high base salaries, 9-to-5 schedules, and no KPIs. When recruiters weigh this against a bit of extra money in agency recruitment, the internal option often wins. It's not about being a bad recruiter; it's about people wanting the best possible outcome for their lives.

Summary

To hire successfully in 2024:

• Offer a level of flexibility
• Consider negotiating on your base salaries
• If hiring for a cold desk, warm it up as much as possible
• Create appealing, competitive opportunities that stand out in the market

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