To the delight of a few and the chagrin of many within the recruiter community, the barrier to entry into the recruiting field is low.   So you are going to get a pretty wide range of talent (like most service providers).

If the recruiter has the job, obviously they are part of the process, but if they are bad news then it benefits you to keep their role to minimum.

Here is how I’ve tested an individual recruiter’s skill.  I just use a simple 1-5 (5=High) scale – this is a gut feel scale.  The higher they score, the more they can be involved in the process.

1) How long they have been in the business? 

•  Usually the longer the better, as it shows they have kept a client base.

2) How many firms the recruiter been with? 

•   If they have been with a bunch, I find there is generally a reason why.

3) What types of roles do they recruit? 

• This is a bit of tricky one, but I found that a long-tenured recruiter who has only done relatively low-level roles, tend to have less experience when it comes to negotiating, etc.

4) How well they can explain a clients business?

• Obviously, I don’t expect them to match a company insider’s knowledge.  This is test of their general business skills and ability to understand their client’s business model. 

Here are a few of my favorites.  Usually these types of lines come from the weaker recruiters in the bunch – their tone of voice, inconsistency with other comments, etc. is a dead give-away every time.   On the upside, consider inviting these folks to your next poker game (and bet big!)

What they say: “Wow! That salary will be tough to match.”

·         Meaning: “My client is not paying that much.  Lower your price” or “I don’t recruit at that pay level”

What they say: “We have a full slate of clients”

·         Meaning: “You are not qualified, but I don’t have the heart to tell you”

What they say: “The search is on hold, we’re waiting for next steps”

·         Meaning: “We have not heard from the client for quite awhile – don’t know what the hell is going on”

What they say: “Good idea.  I’ll run it by the client”

·         Meaning: “The only thing I’m running to is the biff after we hang up”

What they say: “I’m not sure that will be a critical factor”

·         Meaning: “I don’t have a clue what you told me, so I’m not going to try to explain it”