Due diligence matters

Choosing a recruiting partner is itself a significant hiring decision. The wrong partner wastes money, sends unqualified candidates, and damages your employer brand with sloppy outreach. The right partner becomes an extension of your team and fills critical roles faster than you could on your own.

Here are the questions that separate the two.

1. How will you learn about our company and culture?

This question reveals whether the partner plans to do surface-level research or genuinely invest in understanding your business. A strong answer describes a structured intake process: meetings with hiring managers, time spent understanding the product, a deliberate effort to learn what makes your company different.

A weak answer is some version of "just send us the job description." If they are not willing to invest time upfront, they will not represent your company well to candidates.

2. How many clients will our recruiter be working with simultaneously?

This is a critical question that most founders do not think to ask. Traditional agencies often have recruiters juggling 15 to 25 open roles across multiple clients. That means your roles get a fraction of their attention.

Embedded or dedicated models should give you a recruiter whose primary focus is your company. Ask for specifics. "Dedicated to you" can mean different things to different providers.

3. What does your sourcing process look like?

You want to understand where they find candidates. Are they posting and waiting for applications? Are they searching LinkedIn and sending cold outreach? Do they have networks in your industry? What tools do they use?

Good recruiters source proactively. They do not wait for candidates to come to them. They identify the people you want to hire and go get them. If the answer is primarily about posting jobs and reviewing inbound applicants, that is a warning sign.

4. How do you handle the candidate experience?

Your recruiter is your company's face to the talent market. Ask how they communicate with candidates, how quickly they respond, and what happens when a candidate is rejected. Every interaction reflects on your brand.

Look for answers that demonstrate respect for candidates' time and a commitment to clear, timely communication. This matters more than most founders realize.

5. What metrics do you track and report on?

A data-driven recruiter tracks pipeline volume, response rates, time-to-fill, conversion rates between stages, and offer acceptance rates. They share this data regularly and use it to adjust their approach.

If a recruiter cannot tell you what their average time-to-fill is or what response rates they typically see, they are probably not tracking it. And if they are not tracking it, they are not improving it.

6. What is your fee structure?

Recruiting fee structures vary widely. Traditional agencies charge placement fees (20 to 25% of first-year salary). Retained search firms charge an upfront retainer plus a completion fee. Embedded models typically charge a flat monthly fee with no per-hire commissions.

Understand exactly what you are paying, when you are paying it, and what happens if a hire does not work out. Ask about guarantee periods: if someone leaves within 90 days, what is the policy? Get this in writing before you start.

7. What happens if a hire does not work out?

This follow-up to the fee question is important. Agencies that charge placement fees usually offer a guarantee period (30 to 90 days) during which they will replace the hire at no additional cost. Embedded models handle this differently since there is no per-hire fee, they simply continue filling the role as part of the ongoing engagement.

What you are really assessing with this question is accountability. Does the partner care about long-term outcomes, or just about getting bodies in seats?

8. Can you share references from companies similar to ours?

Ask for references from companies at a similar stage, in a similar industry, hiring for similar roles. A recruiter who excels at filling enterprise sales positions may struggle with startup engineering hires. Context matters.

When you talk to references, ask specific questions: How quickly did they ramp up? How was the quality of candidates? Were they responsive? Would you work with them again?

9. What is the minimum commitment?

Some recruiting partners require long-term contracts. Others work on a month-to-month basis. Understand the commitment before you sign.

For startups, month-to-month arrangements are generally preferable. They give you flexibility to scale up or down based on hiring needs and hold the partner accountable for ongoing performance. If a partner requires a 12-month commitment before you have seen any results, that is a risk worth questioning.

10. What do you need from us to be successful?

This is the most revealing question on the list. It tells you how the partner thinks about the engagement and what role they expect you to play.

A thoughtful answer includes things like: timely feedback on candidates, clear decision-making authority, access to hiring managers, and honest communication about changing priorities. A vague answer ("just the job descriptions") suggests they plan to operate in a silo, which rarely produces good results.

The best recruiting partnerships are collaborative. Both sides invest effort, communicate openly, and adjust as they learn what works. The questions you ask upfront set the tone for that partnership.

Choosing well

The recruiting partner you choose will directly impact who joins your team over the coming months. Take this decision seriously. Ask hard questions. Check references. And trust your instincts about whether the partnership feels right. The right recruiter should feel like someone you would want on your team, because in a very real sense, they will be.