Why It’s Commercially Impossible for a 10% Recruiter to Offer a Talent Advisory Service
Every so often, we hear the same refrain: “But another recruiter offered to do it for 10%.”
It’s a fair question for clients to ask—but it also reveals the difference between a transactional recruiter and a true talent advisory partner. If cost is the only differentiator, then something fundamental is being overlooked: the level of investment required to run a modern, high-performing recruitment and advisory service.
The Infrastructure Behind Recruitment
Recruitment today is driven by sophisticated infrastructure. A leading database isn’t just a contact list—it’s an integrated system directly connected to platforms such as Reed, Totaljobs, CV Library, and others.
That means:
- Live updates when candidates reactivate their job search.
- Automatic matching of talent to new vacancies.
- Real-time reporting, call logging, and performance tracking for recruiters.
This technology ensures accuracy, speed, and coverage. It also carries a significant cost, which a 10% model simply doesn’t sustain.
The Tools That Keep You Ahead
Serious recruitment firms invest in the full suite of platforms and tools required to compete:
- LinkedIn Recruiter (enterprise access)
- Major UK job boards and their subsidiaries
- AI-driven note-taking, transcription, and workflow automation
Without these, you’re already behind. And they’re not “nice to haves”—they’re the baseline for delivering consistent results in today’s market.
People Make the Difference
Technology enables efficiency, but people create impact.
The most valuable candidates are often passive—individuals not actively looking, but open to the right approach. Reaching, engaging, and persuading these people requires skill, time, and persistence. That is the craft of recruitment, and it cannot be automated or discounted.
This is where a talent advisory firm earns its value: by going beyond the obvious candidates to build long-term, high-quality placements.
Advisory Goes Beyond Filling Roles
A true talent advisory relationship doesn’t end at a placement. It means challenging internal processes, advising on how to attract and retain the right people, and staying engaged as your business evolves.
That partnership approach is what sustains growth. It’s also what differentiates an advisory service from a basic CV-supply function.
The Bottom Line
Offering recruitment at 10% may sound attractive in the short term, but it’s not compatible with the level of infrastructure, tools, and expertise required to deliver lasting results.
Clients seeking real impact—the ability to build, strengthen, and future-proof their teams—need a partner who invests in the process as much as they do. And that investment has a cost.
The conclusion is simple: if you want a true talent advisory service, 10% won’t buy it.
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