What a Real Recruiter Actually Does (It's Not What Most Companies Think)

I've been a recruiter for over 30 years. And I still run into companies that think my job is to post their opening on job boards and forward resumes.

Let me be direct: that's not recruiting. That's administrative work with a markup attached.

Here's what a real retained search actually looks like — and why the difference matters for the quality of hire you end up with.

It Starts Before the Search

Before I make a single call, I spend time understanding your business.

Not just the job description — anyone can read that. I want to understand your culture. Your leadership team. What's worked in this role historically and what hasn't. What the real day-to-day looks like for the person who will be successful here versus the person who will struggle.

I want to understand why this role is open, what happened with the last person in it, and what you're not saying in the job description because you assume everyone knows.

Most of the time, the most important information isn't in the posting. It's in the conversation.

The Search Is Active, Not Passive

Once I understand the role, I don't wait for candidates to come to me. I go find them.

I work my network. I call people I know in your industry. I ask who's exceptional, who's in the right stage of their career, who might be ready for a bigger challenge. I reach people who aren't on job boards because they don't need to be.

I have conversations — real ones, not form emails — and I qualify candidates based on what I've learned about your company, your team, and your culture. Not just the bullet points in the job description.

I Tell You Things You Don't Always Want to Hear

A recruiter who only tells you good news isn't doing their job.

If your compensation package isn't competitive for the talent level you're targeting, I'll tell you. If your process has gaps that are going to cost you candidates, I'll tell you. If a candidate you're excited about has something in their background that concerns me, I'll tell you — even if it slows things down.

My job is to help you make the right hire. That sometimes means being the voice that pushes back.

I Stay Involved After the Offer

A search doesn't end when the offer is accepted. Candidates can get cold feet. Counter-offers happen. The transition period matters.

I stay in communication through the offer, the acceptance, and the start date — because a hire that falls apart at the last minute costs everyone.

What This Means for You

If your experience with recruiters has been a flood of resumes from people who don't fit, followed by silence — you've been working with the wrong kind of firm.

Retained executive search is a partnership. You should feel like someone is genuinely invested in finding the right person — not just closing a transaction.

That's what I've built my practice on for 30 years.

If you want to understand what a different kind of search looks like, I'm happy to have that conversation.

Philip Lamb is Managing Partner of PRL International — a retained executive search firm with 30+ years of experience placing leadership talent in manufacturing, energy, aerospace, technology, and financial services.