Sometimes, when we do a great job, our clients ask us to fill jobs we don’t want to fill. More often than not, recruiters tell us that filling jobs for engineers is particularly challenging and can be unenjoyable. A client request an put the recruiter in a difficult position: how to keep the client’s business without compromising their own job satisfaction. Let’s explore several options for handling this situation.

Option 1: Just Say No The simplest option is to decline the work. However, it’s not ideal to leave money on the table, especially when a client is asking for help because they trust in the recruiter’s abilities. Saying no means losing potential revenue and possibly harming a good client relationship.

Option 2: Go All In The recruiter could decide to take on the work they don’t want to do, charging accordingly for it. This would prioritize the client’s happiness over their own, potentially making life miserable in the short term. This is a route many recruiters take, but it’s not the best for long-term job satisfaction and isn’t our recommendation.

Option 3: Generate a Referral Commission A more strategic approach would be to refer the client to another vendor and earn a referral commission. This keeps the client happy and generates revenue without the recruiter having to take on the unwanted work. It’s a win-win situation where the client gets the support they need, and the recruiter benefits financially, albeit a small amount.

Option 4: Adopt an RPO Model The recruiter could take on a Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) model, managing the requirements and outside vendors. They would pre-qualify candidates, facilitate negotiations, and manage the process, potentially adding only a minor amount of additional capital to cover expenses. Stellar negotiation skills would help offset the additional costs, making this a viable and potentially profitable option.

Option 5: Subcontract to Unemployed Recruiters With many recruiters currently out of work, the recruiter could hire subcontractors on a part-time basis. Ideally, they’d hire two part-time recruiters to make up one full-time position. The recruiter could manage these subcontractors until the pipeline was full and then take over the process themselves. This allows for blending time with the subcontractors’ efforts, maintaining a margin while keeping the client satisfied. They would provide one blended rate for all hours worked, whether by themselves or a subcontractor.

Option 6: Charge a Fee to Place a Full-Time Recruiter In this scenario, the recruiter could earn a full fee but might lose the client. Perhaps by placing the person themselves, they’d be able to continue to maintain their influence and advisory role. It would likely be best to encourage the client to hire a lower-level implementor and keep the recruiter on.

Exploring these options can help find a balance between maintaining client satisfaction and preserving personal job satisfaction.