What Makes a Good Client ?

Illustration of Grenadiers marching in battle.

Good clients (hiring managers) are the lifeblood of any recruiting business.

Good clients

  • Know how to hire
  • Recognize stars when they meet them
  • Are informed and realistic about the market
  • Understand that every hire has risk
  • Take responsibility for the hiring decision
  • Engage with people – not resumes
  • Can close deals despite obstacles
  • Provide repeat business and referrals
  • Are firm about goals but flexible about means
  • Are responsive: they consistently provide timely, detailed and actionable feedback
  • Know how and when to adjust the target profile and when to stay the course
  • View the recruiter as a partner, not as a utility

The sad reality is that this profile describes less than 10% of all prospective clients.

Some clients can grow into this profile with patient coaching.

Some clients are missing a key piece or two but are still worth working with.

All clients occasionally bog down or go astray. When they do, it is the recruiter’s job to point this out clearly and politely, and offer viable suggestions for getting back on course.


This article was originally posted to LinkedIn