Questions to Ask a Recruiter Before You Sign

For employers

Before you sign with a recruiter, ask five things: how the firm is paid, what is in writing, what happens if the hire leaves, whether candidates ever pay, and who will actually work on your search.

The first interview is one you run, on your own terms, before anyone calls you. These are the questions to bring.

How are you paid, and when?

Start with money, because it shapes everything else. Ask: Is there anything to pay before the search starts? Is the fee due at offer acceptance or at the start date? What is it based on: base pay, or base plus bonus and commission? What is billed separately (background checks, assessments, advertising)?

A firm that answers these in one breath, without hedging, has probably written them down already. A firm that says "it depends" to all four has not.

What will be in writing before you start?

Ask to see the agreement before you commit to anything. Look for the fee basis, the payment timing, the guarantee, how long the firm's claim on a candidate lasts after an introduction, and any exclusivity. Then ask the uncomfortable follow-up: if what you told me on the phone and what this document says ever differ, which one applies? The honest answer is the document. That is fine, as long as the document says what you were told.

What happens if the hire leaves?

Most firms offer a replacement guarantee: if the hire leaves within an agreed period, they search again at no added fee. Some offer a refund instead. Ask which one, how long it lasts, what triggers it, and what voids it (a late payment, a changed role, a layoff, a missed notice window). Then ask to see the clause. A guarantee that exists only in conversation does not exist.

Do candidates ever pay you?

The answer should be a flat no. The Federal Trade Commission says honest placement firms are paid by the hiring company, not the job seeker, and treats a fee charged to candidates as a scam warning sign. This question is also a window into how the firm treats people, which matters because every candidate the firm contacts hears your company's name. Follow up with: do you send a candidate's resume to an employer without that candidate's permission? The answer should also be no.

How do you screen, and what do I receive?

Ask what "screened" means at that firm. A phone conversation? A structured interview against the must-haves you agreed? A written summary you can read before the interview? Ask how many people you will meet, and whether each comes with notes. A recruiter who sends you every resume that matches a keyword is saving their own time at the cost of yours; the whole reason to use a firm is to see fewer, better candidates.

Who will actually work on my search?

In larger firms the person who sells the search and the person who runs it are often different people. Ask who will be sourcing, who will be calling candidates, and who you will hear from each week. Ask how often you will get an update and what it will contain. The Bullhorn and CareerBuilder study of recruiting-firm clients found that nearly a quarter of clients heard from their firm once a quarter or less.

Which roles do you take on, and which do you turn down?

A firm that takes every search is not telling you much. Ask what they decline and why. Ask whether your role is one they would normally handle, and listen for a straight answer. A recruiter who says "that is not a fit for us" on the first call has just saved you weeks.

What about track record?

Ask for it. Established firms can show references and past placements. A firm that cannot should say so plainly rather than hint at experience it does not have. In that case the questions above become the whole evaluation: the terms in writing, the guarantee, how screening works, how candidates are treated, and whether the person on the phone gives direct answers. A firm with nothing else to point to has every reason to be more careful, not less.

How X5 Recruit answers these questions

In one line each, so you can compare.

• Paid how and when: nothing upfront; you pay only when you hire, a share of the hire's first-year base pay.
• In writing: the fee and the guarantee are agreed in writing before the search starts.
• If the hire leaves: within the guarantee period, we search for a replacement at no added fee.
• Candidates: never charged, and never put forward without their permission.
• Screening: every candidate is screened and comes with a written summary; you meet a shortlist.
• Updates: we set up the interviews, collect feedback, and reply to questions within one business day, weekdays, Eastern time.
• Roles: most roles a company hires for; if yours is not a fit for us, we say so on the first call.
• Track record: ask us on the call and you will get a direct answer. X5 Recruit is a recruiting firm based in Tampa, FL, working with companies across the US, and the fee and the guarantee are agreed in writing before any work starts.

To talk through a role, call (888) 906-8090 or email recruit@ai.x5core.com.