Most recruiters work for employers. Reverse recruitment turns that around: a team of career experts works for you, finding suitable roles and applying for them on your behalf. Here is what that looks like in practice, and how to tell whether it is a good fit.
How reverse recruitment works
In traditional recruitment, an agency is paid by an employer to fill a vacancy. Their job is to find the right person for their client, which is why you may never hear back about roles that are not an exact match.
Reverse recruitment starts with you. The team gets to know your experience, goals and preferences, then takes on the most time-consuming parts of the search. A typical process looks like this:
Getting to know you
A conversation about your background, target roles, preferred locations, salary expectations and deal-breakers.
Preparing your materials
Your CV, cover letter and often your LinkedIn profile are updated so they are ready for the roles you want.
Searching and shortlisting
The team looks across job boards, employer websites and other sources, then shortlists roles that match your brief.
You approve
You review the shortlist and decide which roles are worth pursuing. Nothing is sent without your say-so.
Applications managed
Applications submitted across selected roles, on your behalf and with your approval.
Tracking and updates
You hear regularly about where things stand, leaving you free to focus on preparing for interviews.
Who it suits
Reverse recruitment can be especially useful if you:
- Work full time and struggle to find the hours for a proper job search
- Are changing sector or moving into a new type of role and want help positioning your experience
- Are relocating, including moving to the UK, and are not yet familiar with how applications work here
- Are applying to large organisations such as the NHS, where application forms and supporting statements take real effort
- Have been applying for a while without much response and want a fresh approach
What it is not
Reverse recruitment is not a way around the hiring process. Employers still decide who to interview and who to hire, and you still attend the interviews and make your own decisions about offers. Be wary of any service that promises you a job or a set number of interviews. Nobody can honestly make that promise.
It also works best as a partnership. The more clearly you describe what you want, and the more quickly you review the roles put in front of you, the more effective the search will be.
Questions to ask before you start
- How will you decide which roles to put forward?
- Will I approve every application before it is sent?
- How often will I get updates, and in what form?
- Who will be handling my search, and how can I reach them?
- What is included, and how are the scope and fees confirmed?
So, is it right for you?
If you have a clear idea of the roles you want but not the time or energy to chase them, reverse recruitment can take a lot of the strain out of job hunting. If you are still working out your direction, a conversation about your goals is a sensible first step either way.
Curious? Read more about our reverse recruitment services or, if you work in healthcare, our NHS reverse recruitment support. When you are ready, tell us about your goals and we will suggest the best next step.