Question
What is the relationship nowadays between recruiters, companies and applicants?
Nick’s Reply
Typically, it’s skimpy at best. The typical relationship is a database.
A friend of mine is an HR exec at a Fortune 50 company. He complains he has no budget to actually go find and recruit good people, because his top management dumps almost all the recruiting budget into the big job boards. He is unable to actually meet and talk with people he needs to recruit.
For the most part, recruiters, companies and applicants all live in databases, waiting for algorithms to make matches between jobs and workers. It gets pretty dizzy in there! Everyone is sitting on their duffs in front of computers going blind, deciding which database record to interview via a bot. They think they’re recruiting, or job hunting.
This is why it appears so difficult to find and fill jobs whether the job market is considered good or bad. Employers, recruiters and applicants do very little talking with one another.
Question
Are you more interested in passive or active candidates (passive being ones that aren’t actively looking)?
Nick’s Reply
As a headhunter, I’m not as interested in candidates as I am in sources. I’ll jump over 50 possible candidates, whether they’re actively looking or not, to get to one “shining light” in the industry I hunt in. Because that’s what I get paid for: Knowing people who make the industry tick.
I place candidates, but I look for sources. That’s who I spend my time with. My sources help me fill the positions I work on. One good source is usually worth several placements. A good source also helps me find good candidates quickly, without having to sort through the drek.
It’s irrelevant whether someone is active or passive, employed or out of work. What matters is what the shining light thinks of them — and I’ve placed some phenomenal unemployed people that most recruiters wouldn’t even talk to.
A database is not a hub. Recruiting isn’t about posting jobs and filtering resumes. That’s not what companies pay recruiters for. They pay you because you are a hub of sources — the person others in the industry come to for advice, information and introductions. So what matters is not whether the candidate is active or passive. It’s whether the recruiter is active — as a respected hub of good relationships.
Good jobs, candidates, job offers and hires flow to and from that hub.
If you’re a job seeker, what does this tell you about the job market and about how to land a job?
: :
Nick, it sounds like a qualified jobseeker should have a recruiter to find a job. Because of the databases… and the fact that recruiters are the best sources to find a job. BUT… does a jobseeker pay a recruiter? How can a jobseeker find the right recruiter for their search? AND. you said that you would jump over 50 candidates to talk to a trusted source – a recruiter.
You could always retain the services of a so-called “reverse recruiter” to spam your résumé to a bunch of employers. Sounds sketchy to me, but people sometimes do strange things out of desperation.
“Landing a white-collar job is getting so tough that candidates—not companies—are paying recruiters to match them with positions.”
– The Wall Street Journal, February 10, 2026
@Garp: What the WSJ is describing is a racket to be generally avoided.
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/12437/recruiting-scams-on-social-media
Although I understand the overall frustration in the job market out there that leads to this “desperate” move, it is ILL advised.
Plenty of history (decades) of a “recruiter” (individual, firm, or otherwise) that will take your money…spam your resume – if that…get NO results of any kink…then blow you off.
Go luck with trying to “buy” a job since that is effectively what is being attempted here.
Complete scam in most cases.
@Kathryn: I think I could have done a better job of “making my point” in this column! I do not at all advocate using a recruiter/headhunter. If a good one brings you a job opportunity, that’s great – assuming it’s a good headhunter.
But hh’s fill only about 3% of jobs, so by no means should you count on that. Moreover, in my opinion 95% of hh’s and recruiters aren’t worth spit. All they do is what the ATSes do – use databases to make “matches,” and, as we know, generally not good ones! Most are just dialing for dollars.
And no, a job seeker should NEVER pay a headhunter. See links below.
The point I was trying to make is, essentially, that you can do for yourself what a good headhunter would do – organize your professional contacts and cultivate friendships that lead to personal referrals. That’s the coin of the realm. You don’t need a headhunter, who, by the way, is sending in other candidates to compete with you,
Your best trusted source is a “shining light” in your field or business. Don’t know one? Start looking! This is something everyone should be doing all the time, not just when they need a job. Become a hub yourself, or meet a hub or two! That’s far more productive than diddling the Enter or Send key!
Recruiters are NOT the best sources to a job. Hubs of professionals are! And you can find those hubs within your line of work or become one yourself! Yah, this is a lot of work and takes time, but so’s that job you want! Start doing the work now!
DEALING WITH HEADHUNTERS:
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/16704/screen-headhunters
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/8430/how-to-work-with-headhunters
CONNECTING WITH A HUB (& NETWORKING):
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/11709/good-networking
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/9205/networking-for-introverts-how-to-say-it
https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/15450/get-inspired-use-ask-the-headhunter
NOTE: For anyone that doesn’t know her, Kathy is the leading expert on federal jobs:
https://resume-place.com/
I can’t figure out how one identifies a shining light.
Whatever your field of work is, there are leading experts in your field. Who are they? Do you know? Find out. See if they have a LinkedIn. Or Google them. You can meet them at a conference maybe. These experts know about your field of work and other leaders and experts. For instance in my work – helping people and service members get federal jobs – there is a very busy successful employment specialist who works with service members. He is everywhere – job fairs, articles. So, I stay in touch with him and communicate about his work and my work. He is a Shining Light for my work – helping Service members get jobs.
Us jobseekers do not have a seat at the table. Do we bring a folding chair?
Lucky rabbit’s foot might be more useful.
Please see my reply to Kathy Troutman above!
“… live in databases, waiting for algorithms to make matches…”
Yep, tech did NOT make anything easier – only more restrictive and isolated.
Back in the day (LOL), at least you could receive a somewhat positive response with follow up by calling and/or walking in (unscheduled but polite and enthusiastic) to show initiative which at least spurred additional attention to your app – and even earned at least a phone screening.
Now (unless you have an inside connection), many companies post “NO calls or emails” and declare that “all job inquiries must be made by formal application” (or other verbiage) and “other communication attempts will NOT be acknowledged.”
Fun times we live in for sure = getting ignored right out of the gate by a digital “high security wall”.
In the past I would use staffing firms as a way to find temporary/contract work as a stopgap. I had a lot of luck when I worked as a paralegal. Those jobs were a godsend. Working in a different field, it has been a nightmare. I noticed a contract job that was advertised on a staffing firm’s website. I applied, called a day or two later, to check the status of my resume. No response, but this past Saturday I got a rejection email. Either the contact ignored my voicemail, which I believe she did. Or an ATS read the resume. I don’t believe a human being read my resume. What’s the point of staffing firms if no one does their job??? Its laziness everywhere. I’m sick of this!!!
I always had much better success in the job hunt when I used temp agencies. I’d either get converted to an actual FT position, or get a connection that I could follow up on in the future.
As a “Federal Career Coach(r)”, this year I was teaching and coaching the thousands of “Former (Fired) Federal Employees about seeking positions in private industry. A shocking situation for them. They are very well-qualified experts in various fields, especially International (USAID), healthcare (FDA and HHS), Eenergy (DOE), various programs (Dept. of War). I ask this question in the classes (with about 100 people in attendance), “What are the results of your private industry job search so far?” One person said, “I have applied to 50 jobs, and I received 50 rejections.” I was just stunned. Then she said, “Evidently, they received too many resumes for all of the positions, and they just sent out a fast rejection email.” The large number of Former Feds are in the State of Maryland. There are alot of houses for sale in Maryland. Competition is too much. They have to move.
NICK IS RIGHT – FIND YOUR SHINING LIGHT. Real Networking has to take the place of the databases. Who are your top Shining LIght references / friends? This is serious. And/or become a Shining LIght yourself.
IT’S A BIG GAME – AND YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT. Keep it up. I think… more conference attendances in your field; more LinkedIn posts that are professional and positive; Take a class – think of one to meet professionals.
Let’s all make a great list of how to search for a job to survive through the databases! (and do not pay a recruiter to help you– as Nick has said clearly). I go to conferences to network, get my name out there. Costs some money and effort (going live). But this is Cost of doing Business…. in your case Cost of Networking / Getting a Job. Find a relevant conference. GO. You can find me here. Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryntroutman/ The Federal Government IS still hiring. look here: usajobs.gov
I have found that my combination of practical training and science training have been of considerable value to my career. My first W2 job was actually in music (I’m a violinist), but I went from there to electronics technician, then to chemist, then to computer science. Having dipped my spear in technology and engineering, I have observed that one of the more important differences between a technician and an engineer is that the technician knows which end of the soldering iron gets hot. Along the way, I got a pilot’s license — I no longer fly, but that alone has gotten my foot in the door to some opportunities that I would not have otherwise had.
The one headhunter that I had the best results from was for a very niche position (Forth programming). He sought out and attended the local Forth Interest Group meeting where I was a regular attendee. That led to a job that lasted more than 6 years. I might still be there if they had not decided to move to Mexico. Last time I checked, they moved to Taiwan – and were still using the software I wrote, unchanged ;)