🚩 Red Flags in Recruiting: The Agency Goes Silent

In a series of articles, we highlight the red and green flags to look out for when selecting a hiring partner.

We’ve already covered situations when a recruiting agency:

😕 Takes on the job without asking questions

😕 Fails to provide feedback

😕 Adds unnecessary intermediaries into the process

This post is about how actively the agency communicates with you after taking on the vacancy.

Red flags

🚩 The agency takes on the search and then disappears. It may even seem like a sign of professionalism — like experienced recruiters only need a job description and will silently find the right candidate. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works.

🚩 You’ve gone a week or two without updates on the vacancy. Hiring is a complex process. Regular check-ins are important to avoid wasting time and to ensure unsuitable candidates aren’t sent your way.

🚩 The agency sends you resumes in bulk (e.g., 10 per week). This likely means they’re skimming through candidates and simply forwarding everyone who expressed interest. You’re left to sort through a pile of resumes on your own.

🚩 The agency doesn’t tell you how the vacancy and your company are perceived by candidates and what challenges the agency is encountering during the search.

To attract the best candidates, it’s important to know how your company is viewed in the market. This allows you to identify any issues with your HR brand and address them promptly.

Green flags

💚 It’s a good sign when the agency clearly outlines the process: the stages of the search and how much time each will take.

For instance, there’s a preliminary phase for working on the vacancy. During this time, recruiters find the first suitable candidates, speak with them, and evaluate them.

The agency informs the client how long the preliminary stage will take. Typically, the first candidates are presented within 5–10 days. The more complex the role, the more time is needed’, says executive search consultant Olga Makarova from NEWHR Recruiting.

The first or two candidates help fine-tune the job description, and the agency explains why it has selected those specific individuals.

The agency may also tell you that there are no suitable candidates on the market for the current job description. In that case, the agency and the client recalibrate the criteria in the job description, possibly lowering the candidate requirements. Recalibration can be done at any stage, especially when hiring stalls.

💚 After recalibration, the agency filters the resume pool and presents only the most suitable candidates, so the client doesn’t have to do this on their own.

💚 The agency requests intermediate syncs to keep you updated and ensure alignment.

💚 During these syncs, the agency shares how candidates are reacting to the vacancy and how your company is perceived on the market.

💙 NEWHR Recruiting helps find top talent in the tech market. Submit a request on the website or email contact@new.hr