Tom Sorensen | NPAworldwide

How to Select a Recruitment Agency

Editor’s Note: I rarely publish articles written by others, but this piece by Neil Russell of Bevan Consulting deserves attention and a wider audience. Originally published on 8 April 2026, it is republished here with permission.

If you brief five or six agencies at the same time, each knows they have a relatively small chance of success.

In simple terms, they are operating with a low probability of return.

That inevitably affects behaviour. Effort becomes diluted, prioritisation shifts elsewhere, and what you receive is often reactive rather than considered.

Low probability of success rarely leads to high levels of commitment.

Most organisations start in the same place when they need to hire. They ask which recruitment agency they should use, often looking at brand names, size, or reputation in the market.

It feels like a sensible starting point. It is also, more often than not, the wrong one.

The better question is far simpler and far more important.

Who are you actually going to be working with, and how will they go about delivering for you? Because recruitment is not delivered by a brand, it is delivered by individuals.

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It does not matter whether the agency is large or small, well-known or relatively unknown.

What matters is the consultant who will manage your role.

That individual will represent your business in the market, decide whom to approach, assess candidates, and ultimately shape the outcome you receive.

A strong consultant will deliver regardless of the name on the door. A weak one will not, no matter how impressive the brand appears. If you remember only one thing from this article, make it this point.

There is so much more in this article that is important; don’t skip it. The headlines are:

This Is a Working Relationship, Not a Transaction

Understand the Commercial Reality

How Do They Turn a Brief into a Qualified Shortlist?

Where Do They Find Candidates?

How Do They Assess Candidates?

Do They Provide Market Insight?

Do They Challenge You?

Warning Signs to Watch For

Track Record Matters, But Make It Personal

A Perspective from Experience

Even a Broken Clock Is Right Twice a Day

Success Versus Repeatability

Final Thought

About the Guest Writer