How to Improve Recruitment Accuracy for Clients

You sent 10 candidates. The client shortlisted 3. None got hired. What went wrong?

This scenario plays out every day in recruitment agencies. Each iteration costs you time, money, and — eventually — the client relationship.

The Accuracy Problem in Agency Recruitment

Let's be honest about the numbers:

• Average hit rate: 20-30% of candidates make it past first interview
• Each rejected candidate costs 2-4 hours of sourcing and screening
• Each iteration delays the placement by 1-2 weeks
• After 3 rounds of misses, the client relationship is at risk

What You Get vs. What You Need

What the client gives you	What you actually need
A job description	Real context about the team and role
"5 years experience"	What specific problems they've solved
"Culture fit"	What the team is actually like
A list of requirements	What's truly non-negotiable

Why Clients Don't Tell You More

It's not that they're hiding information. They often:

• Don't have time for a detailed brief
• Think the JD is "clear enough"
• Don't know themselves what they really need
• Assume you'll figure it out from the JD

What You Don't Know (And Can't Know)

• The team dynamics and politics
• The hiring manager's hidden preferences
• Why the last person in the role left or failed
• What "success" actually looks like internally
• The unwritten expectations nobody mentions

The Guessing Game — And Its Cost

When you work with incomplete briefs, you're essentially guessing. Each guess that misses:

• Wastes your sourcing time
• Delays the client's hire
• Damages your credibility
• Puts the relationship at risk

Your Real Competitor

It's not other agencies. It's the internal recruiter who has coffee with the hiring manager every day. They know the context you're missing.

How to Get Better Information

1. Request a briefing call — Not just with HR, with the hiring manager
2. Ask for examples — "Who's been successful in similar roles?"
3. Understand failures — "What went wrong with previous hires?"
4. Get team context — "Can I speak with someone on the team?"
5. Clarify priorities — "If you could only have 3 requirements, which?"

Go Directly to the Source: The Team

The hiring manager is one perspective. The team has others:

• Day-to-day collaboration requirements
• Real challenges of the role
• What type of person meshes with the group
• Skills gaps that affect their work

Differentiation: From CV Supplier to Strategic Partner

Any agency can send CVs. Few can provide:

• Deep understanding of what the client actually needs
• Insights the client didn't know themselves
• Candidates who fit, not just match keywords

That's how you move from vendor to partner.

TalentByTeam for Agencies

What if you could offer clients a systematic way to capture team intelligence? TalentByTeam can be whitelabeled for agencies — giving you a competitive advantage no one else has.

Better inputs. Fewer iterations. Higher hit rate. Happier clients.