Recruitment works better when it feels more like representation. The most effective recruiters aren’t acting as middlemen but behave like agents. Such professionals know their talent, back them, build trust, create access, and understand how timing and fit actually work. This shift in mindset changes everything.
You’ve seen this before. A client sends over a job spec and the recruiter reposts it to LinkedIn. Hundreds of applications come flooding in. Within hours, the inbox is full and the system is overwhelmed. No one gets a good experience, not the client, candidates, or recruiter.
Recruiters often complain they do not have the time to respond to everyone or to sort through portfolios properly. But the chaos is a symptom of waiting for client requests and then call for candidates begins. Theres only going through CV’s and forwarding them on.
I propose a better approach. Start early, build a bench of talent before the demand appears, know who is doing good work, and understand what they are looking for. Stay in touch with the people in your network, even when they are not actively searching. That way, when a client calls, you already know who to call back.
Clients do not need help reposting jobs. If they have written the spec, they can post it themselves. What they expect from a recruiter is access. Such clients want a shortlist and perspective. People want to know who you rate, and why. That is what earns the fee and builds trust.
Talent agents work this way all the time. In film, in sport, in music: representation is proactive. Agents do not wait for the casting call before getting involved. Such professionals know their client and understand the brief before it arrives. Agents pitch, coach, and prepare while creating the opportunity, not just responding to it.
Recruiters could be doing the same in creative and tech. Many already have the network and just need to activate it differently.
Help your candidates refine their CVs, shape their portfolios, understand their ambitions, know when they are open to move, offer interview prep, and give feedback. Bring creative leaders into your process if you do not feel confident reviewing portfolios yourself. Turn quality into your edge.
Recruitment agencies should be attracting candidates by sponsoring industry events, regularly publishing trend reports and making sure candidates up upping their skillsets to respond to demand.
You don’t need to be a middleman pushing paperwork between two sides because that isn’t the role anymore.
The people you represent should trust you before the job goes live. Clients should feel the preparation in your process, not just see a name on a list.
The best recruitment is built on readiness rather than rush, where you represent people well, stay close to them, and earn the right to place them.
That is the job.