Hiring
Questions to Ask a Recruiter Before You Give Them the Search
Royalty Talent Team
Before you give a recruiter a search, ask them to explain what they will actually do. A list of names and a plan to send messages are a starting point, not enough information to choose a partner.
You need to know how they will understand the job, speak with suitable people and help you make a considered hire. These questions can make that first conversation more useful.
What do you need to learn about the job?
A job description rarely answers everything. Ask what the recruiter needs to understand before approaching anyone: why you are hiring, what needs to improve, who the person will work with and what makes the job difficult.
For a project manager, managing a similar budget may matter less than experience with occupied sites or demanding handovers. For a finance leader, ask whether the work involves steady reporting, rebuilding a team or changing systems. A useful recruiter should be able to explain those differences to a potential candidate.
How will you decide whom to approach?
Ask how they identify relevant companies and people doing comparable work. What would make someone worth a conversation, beyond a matching title?
Suitable people may already be employed and not applying to advertisements. Finding them is one part of the work; giving them a clear, honest reason to speak is another. Ask how the recruiter explains the opportunity and follows up without making promises you have not agreed to.
What will you learn beyond the resume?
Ask what a recruiter wants to understand in a conversation: the work someone handled personally, the team around them, why they would consider leaving and what they want next.
Practical expectations matter too. Location, working hours, travel, pay and notice periods can change whether a move makes sense. These should be discussed, not left for you to discover after several interviews.
How will you separate statements from evidence?
A candidate saying they led a turnaround is not the same as independently establishing what happened. Ask the recruiter to distinguish what the candidate has told them, what supporting information is available and what still needs checking.
You can also ask how they keep job-related questions consistent. OPM’s structured-interview guidance describes asking predetermined questions and evaluating responses against common standards. That is a useful reference for the interview itself, not a guarantee that every statement has been verified.
What will a candidate introduction tell me?
Ask for the information you can expect alongside a resume. A useful introduction explains comparable work, interest in the move, practical expectations and open questions.
For example, an introduction might explain that someone has managed similar projects, wants less travel and is comfortable with the discussed pay range, while noting that their experience hiring a team still needs exploring. That gives you a reason to meet and something specific to ask. It is more useful than a string of flattering adjectives.
Who handles concerns and keeps the search moving?
Ask who your day-to-day contact will be and who remains responsible through interviews and offer decisions. If a candidate raises a concern, how will you hear about it? If the first conversations show that the requirements need changing, how will that be discussed?
Agree how feedback will be shared and how both sides will handle delays or changed expectations. A shortlist is an output. The continuing work is helping you and the candidates make informed decisions about the hire.
Discuss the role you need to fill
Royalty Talent recruits executives, managers and experienced professionals across its specialist practices, including Construction Headhunters and Technology Headhunters. We look for suitable people, speak with them about the job and their interest, and help you through interviews and the hire.
Read our approach to see how we work, or tell us about the role you need to fill.