When Job Postings Help an Agency Search, and When They Don’t

A job posting helps an agency search when the role has a large pool of qualified people who are actively looking, such as high-volume, hourly or entry-level roles, or when the client is already posting and you need to work alongside it. On specialized or senior searches, postings rarely surface the strongest candidates, so they should support direct sourcing rather than replace it. Either way, agree up front on how candidates from each source are handled.

When does a posting actually help?

• High-volume or repeatable roles. When a client needs several people with common skills, applicants can fill part of the slate quickly.
• Entry-level and early-career roles. People early in their careers are more likely to be actively searching.
• Local or shift-based roles. Where commute and schedule matter more than specialized experience, local postings reach people who fit.
• Building your pipeline. A posting for a role you fill often brings in people you can keep for future searches.

When should you skip it?

Skip posting when the search is confidential, when the client is replacing someone who doesn't know yet, or when the role is so specialized that the right people are all employed and not browsing. On those searches a posting can also undercut your value: if the client sees the same applicants you're sending, they'll wonder what the fee is for. See Sourcing Beyond Job Boards for the channels to work instead.

What if the client is posting the job too?

Many clients post their own openings while working with a recruiter. That's fine, but settle three things before you start:

1. Who owns which candidates. Your agreement should say that people who apply to the client directly are the client's, and that candidates you introduce first are yours for a set period.
2. How you'll check for duplicates. Before you present anyone, ask whether the client already has them. A quick check saves an awkward fee dispute later.
3. How you'll present. Get the candidate's permission for each submittal, and send a dated email so there's a clear record of when you introduced them.

How do you run both without double-submitting?

Keep one list per search with every candidate, their source and their status. Never submit a person to a client without their consent, and never send the same person twice through different channels. If you run your own posting for a client role, screen applicants with the same standard you use for sourced candidates, and present only the ones you'd stand behind.

A client's applicant flow is also useful market feedback. If the posting brings in plenty of people who are close but not quite right, that tells you what the market looks like and where the client's requirements may need to bend. Share that observation; it's part of the value you add.

In identifyd, each job order has its own candidate list with stages from Presented through Hired, and notes on each record let you capture where a candidate came from and when you presented them.