You Didn’t Have a Choice in 2000: But You Do Now
I joined recruitment in the year 2000.
Fresh out of uni with an HR degree.
Saw a recruitment job.
Thought, “That’s a bit like HR. I’ll do it.”
It wasn’t.
IT recruitment was a wild ride.
But I learned fast, and I’m grateful for it.
Back then, it was all about speed.
Beat the competition.
Get there first.
Recruiters dined out on the size of their database.
That was your edge.
Who did you know, and how quickly could you get them in front of the client?
As an employer, you didn’t have much choice.
Yes, you could advertise, but it was slow and expensive.
At least recruiters only charged you if they delivered.
So most businesses just went with a few.
Then the race began.
CVs flying in.
Ownership was everything.
No proper briefing. No tailored shortlist.
Just phone-bashing and firing off candidates.
Sounds mad now, right?
What’s madder, 25 years on, some are still doing it.
Still working with five or six agencies at once.
Still treating recruitment like a free-for-all.
It doesn’t work.
It’s bad for candidate experience.
Damages your employer brand.
And offers poor value.
You’re not getting a proper recruitment service.
You’re paying for a pile of CVs and hoping one fits.
But in 2025, you’ve got options.
LinkedIn has become the biggest recruitment database.
That “exclusive database”?
It’s public now.
Everyone has access.
So, what really matters when you hire a recruiter?
- Do they know your market?
- Can they attract and engage the right people?
- Can they assess them properly?
It’s not complicated if you choose someone who knows what they’re doing.
But that’s where it can fall apart.
Many agency recruiters are brilliant at sales.
Hundreds of calls a day.
CVs out in minutes.
That’s different.
And when they try and move in-house, the cracks show.
Speed over quality doesn’t cut it anymore.
You need someone who can:
- Manage stakeholders
- Handle hard-to-fill roles
- Think long-term
- Protect your brand
Build something, not just fill something.
And it’s that capability you need in your external recruiters, too.
So, back then, you didn’t have a choice.
But now you do.
Stop asking:
How many agencies should we use?
Start asking:
Who’s doing the actual recruitment?
Do they understand your world?
Can they act like an extension of your team?
Want real results?
Work with one recruiter.
Make sure they know your market.
And give them the space to deliver.
Thank You
Thanks for visiting recruiterpaul.eu
I hope you found this post useful.
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