Recruiters will often talk about the size of their database to indicate to you that they have the right candidate for you. The most important consideration is not size, it is the balance of active and passive candidates, the frequency of contact between the recruiter and candidate and whether the recruiter’s database reflects the industry and the roles you are looking for.
Does the database contain active or passive candidates?
Your goal is always to find the right candidate and not just the best available. We know from the reports we read that the right candidate may be actively looking for work, passively looking, or may in fact not be currently looking at all.
This means that your recruiter’s database should also reflect the current market. It should be a mix of active and passive candidates. This will give you confidence that they have a real chance of finding the right candidate for you.
Is your Recruiter in regular contact with their database?
This is a critical activity for any recruiter worth their salt and a real measure of the value of the database. A recruiter who is in regular contact with their database has the ability to know exactly where candidates are at any point in time. This means they can present the right candidate to you not just those that are actively looking for work.
Does your recruiter’s database reflect your industry and the roles you are recruiting for?
The size of the database is irrelevant if it does not reflect your industry and the roles you are recruiting for. A great way to test the relevance of a recruiter’s database for you is to ask them to share their last five placements. This is one way to gauge if they are likely to have the right candidate for you.
The size of your recruiter’s database is not the only consideration you should look at. Ensure there is a balance of active and passive candidates, find out how often your recruiter is talking to their database and test the relevancy of their database. If you would like to know more about this topic or you would like to suggest a topic for me to write about then please contact me paul@paulgreening.com
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