Understanding How Recruiters Work

There are two broad categories of recruiters:

1. True headhunters are paid on a retainer. In other words, they get paid whether they get a candidate into a particular job role or not.
2. The vast majority of recruiters – and some of them will confusingly call themselves headhunters too – will work on a contingency fee or commission. In other words, they only get paid if they get a candidate to fill a position.

Put recruiters in their place

So, here are some tips for dealing with a recruiter who
might get in touch with a potential job offer:

• Ask whether they are paid on retainer or commission (or both) for the particular role they’re trying to get you interested in.
• Consider carefully the advice of commission-based firms. If they only make their full fee from placing a candidate in a role, they may overemphasize the positive points of a job and neglect to mention some of its downsides.