How recruitment mandates are awarded
A company using an agency has usually failed to fill a role themselves, so they are paying for reach into candidates who are not applying. They evaluate sector specialisation, time to placement, replacement guarantees and fee structure. Agencies that present recruitment services across all sectors signal no particular access to anyone, and the mandate goes to a specialist or to several agencies working on contingency.
What we build for an agency
First, sector and seniority specialisation stated, since access to a specific candidate pool is the only thing a client cannot replicate. Second, placement evidence: roles filled, typical time to placement, retention, which justifies the fee. Third, fee structure and replacement guarantee published, because those terms are the risk the client is pricing. Fourth, a vacancy listing that attracts candidates directly, since the agency database is the asset and it has to be fed continuously.