How to Choose a Recruitment Partner

Most hiring managers have a recruiter story. Maybe it's the agency that sent 30 CVs in a day and then went silent, or the hire who left inside six months. These things cost real money. The REC estimated recently that one bad hire on a £42,000 salary can cost a business more than £132,000.

Since 2007 we've recruited for engineering, science and leadership roles in regulated industries across defence, construction, chemicals, power, life sciences and emerging technologies, in the UK and overseas. Here's what we'd look for if we were in your seat. Each point comes with a question you can put to any agency, us included.

1. They speak your industry

A recruiter filling a process safety role should know what a HAZOP is. They should also know why your HV Engineer can't be swapped for any qualified Electrical Engineer. If you spend the first meeting teaching them the basics, your candidates will notice too.

Ask them: "Tell me about the last three roles like this you filled. What made them hard?"

How we do it: At Populus we are led by specialists, Sim Hall who has over 30 years international experience in engineering, James Smith has over 20 years experience recruiting internationally across all our core practice areas and Donna James boasts an impressive 30 years in international labour market research.

2. They question your brief before they start

Good recruiters push back. Maybe the salary is £8k below market, or the must-haves rule out everyone who'd actually say yes. You want to hear that in week one, backed by market data, rather than in week six with no shortlist.

Ask them: "What would you change about this brief?" If the answer is "nothing", keep looking.

How we do it: Within 7 days of the brief Populus will deliver a market intelligence report. This is live working intelligence to inform you and your hiring decsions. As it’s live it will be shared with you in a real time link for your feedback and input.

3. They can reach the people you need, where they are

For a site role on Teesside you want a recruiter who knows the local employers, travel-to-work areas and pay rates. For a specialist who might be in Rotterdam, Beijing or Houston, you need real contacts there. They also need to understand local pay norms and what it really takes to get someone to relocate. Very few agencies do both well. Ask which one they're really built for.

Ask them: "Where did your last five placements for roles like this come from?"

How we do it: With our North East base with active work across the Americas, Europe, GCC/MENA and Asia Populus are experienced and well placed to deliver wherever you need people globally. See our Case Studies for real examples of our delivery success.

4. A short shortlist, with a reason for every CV

Three well-matched, profiled candidates beat fifteen loosely matched ones every time. Every CV should come with a cover page on why this person fits, their motivation and where the gaps are. If you're doing the screening as the Client, the agency isn't.

How we do it: As part of the Populus Research Driven Recruitmnet process a long list of circa 50 targeted candidates will be contacted, interviewed and profiled to provide a final shortlist of usually 4 - 6 final candidates for you to interview. Each shortlisted candidate profile will have a cover page that details their suitability for your role, their motivation and any gaps to be explored.

5. You always know where things stand

Agree an update rhythm at the start, weekly or whatever suits you, and hold them to it. Watch whether bad news arrives as fast as good news. A recruiter who tells you on day ten that the market is tougher than expected is worth far more than one who stays quiet until day forty.

Ask them: "What will I hear from you, and when?"

6. They treat your candidates as your reputation

Candidates rarely separate the agency from the employer. If they get ghosted, the damage lands on your name. Greenhouse found 45% of candidates are ghosted after a first recruiter conversation. In a small engineering community like the North East, word gets round.

Ask them: "What happens to the candidates who don't get the job?"

7. They manage the offer, not just the introduction

Plenty of searches fall over at the last step. Salary and counter-offers are the usual causes, and a good recruiter sees them coming. They'll have tested expectations early and stayed close to the candidate right through the notice period.

Ask them: "How many of your offers were accepted last year, and why were the others turned down?"

How we do it: The Populus offer acceptance rate is 96%

8. Compliance is checked before interview

Right to work and qualifications should be confirmed before a candidate is in front of you. In defence that also means security clearance eligibility. In regulated sectors such as pharma or nuclear, it means checking the certifications the role legally depends on. Finding a problem at offer stage wastes everyone's time.

How we do it: The Populus proofing process means all right to work, qualifications and clearances are checked during the screening phase.

9. Terms that share the risk

Read the small print. What happens if your new hire leaves in month three? Is there a rebate or a free replacement, and for how long? A partner who believes in their shortlist will put something behind it.

How we do it: The Populus standard terms mean every candidate is guaranteed for at least 3 months. If the candidate leaves for any purpose we will stand behind our delivery promise and find you a replacement of equal calibre.

10. They ask how it went, and can prove it

The REC found that fewer than half of employers had ever been asked by an agency for feedback. A recruiter worth keeping asks after every hire and tracks what happened next. The most telling number is how many placements are still in post a year on.

Ask them: "What percentage of your placements are still there after 12 months?"

How we do it: In 2025 the Populus 12 month retention rate for the previous 5 years was 86%

If you'd like to put us to the test, send us a role you're finding hard to fill. Within 2 working days we'll come back with our honest view of the brief, a salary benchmark and where we'd look. There's no charge and no obligation.