Recruitment consultant interview questions, with answers and the business development call

I like the pace, and that results are clear: either someone starts a new job or they don't. I chose agency because I want the business development side. Winning clients and making placements is a sales job, and I want to be measured on it. Working in a busy bar, I built up regulars by remembering people and what they liked, and recruitment rewards the same thing.

You place finance and accounting staff with mid-size companies in the region, mostly permanent roles with some contract work. From the job boards, accountants who know specific software seem to be in demand, and several of your clients are hiring for the same skills, which suggests good candidates have options. My question is how you win clients who use more than one agency.

Hi Morgan, it's Casey from a finance recruitment agency. I saw you're advertising for a financial controller, and I'm talking to a few people with that background right now. How's the search going? ... Three weeks and no shortlist, that's frustrating. What's been the sticking point? ... The software experience, got it. I know two people with exactly that. Could I send you their profiles today and call you tomorrow to go through the role properly?

That makes sense, most companies your size do. How's it working? Are there roles they find harder to fill? ... The specialist ones take longest, got it. Would it be worth me working on the next one of those alongside them? If I don't find someone better, you've lost nothing.

I understand, it's a real cost. Can I ask what you're comparing it with? ... Then it's worth looking at what's included: a short list of screened candidates who actually want the job, quickly, and our terms protect you if the hire doesn't work out early on. If the fee is the only obstacle, I'd rather talk about working on several roles together than cut it on one.

You told me the hard part is someone who can run the month-end close on their own from day one. She's done exactly that for four years at a company your size, on the same software you use, and she cut their close by two days. The one gap is that she hasn't managed people, but she's mentored two junior accountants. Could we get her in on Thursday or Friday?

I'd speak to the candidate first and make sure it's final, without pressuring them. Then I'd call the client right away, before they hear it from anyone else, explain what happened and tell them how quickly I can get the next-best candidates back in front of them. Next time, I'd raise counteroffers early and ask the candidate how they'd respond to one before they resign.

With respect for their time and a specific reason: "I'm calling because of your experience running audits for retail clients. I'm not assuming you're looking, but I'm working on a role that might be worth five minutes." Then I'd ask what would make a move worth considering. If the answer is nothing, I'd thank them and ask whether they know anyone. A no can still become a referral.

I'd make it easy: ask for it in a short call rather than an email, with specific questions like "What was the one thing that held you back on her?" I'd explain that feedback helps me send better candidates faster. If it kept happening, I'd agree on a feedback timeline at the start of the next role.

By prioritizing hard. I'd rank roles by how likely they are to fill and how urgent they are, and spend most of my time on the top few. Every candidate in process gets a next contact date in the system, so nobody goes quiet for a week. And I'd block time every day for business development, because it's the first thing to disappear when the desk gets busy.

Selling event sponsorships at college, I spent a month getting turned down by local businesses. I changed my approach: instead of a general pitch, I found out what each business wanted, like more student customers, and offered something specific to that. My next ten calls brought in three sponsors. I learned that rejection is often information.

I like them, because they turn a big goal into something I can control today. I'd want to understand how each one connects to results, for example how calls lead to new roles and placements, so I can tell if I'm hitting the numbers but missing the point. If my activity is there and the results aren't, that tells me to change how I'm calling.

At the hotel where I worked, a booking error meant half of a wedding party's guests would be in a different hotel. I told the organizer right away, in person, explained what had happened and what we'd already arranged, including transportation between the hotels. She wasn't happy, but she thanked me for telling her quickly and honestly. In recruitment, that's every rejected candidate and every pulled offer.