A job advert usually does its job and attracts plenty of applications. The hard part is finding the few people who are actually suited to the role, and filtering out the unqualified, the keyword-matched and those with no real intention of moving. Many employers hand that work to a recruiter, which makes choosing the right one a decision in itself.
Questions to Ask a Recruiter Before You Hire Them sets out the questions to put to any recruitment consultancy before you sign, and what a good answer to each should tell you. It covers how CVs are screened, sector experience, cover letters, references and qualification checks, your involvement in the process and how fees work.
It closes with a pre-engagement checklist you can take into your first meeting with a prospective recruitment partner. A recruiter worth engaging will welcome every question on it.
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What's inside
Each chapter covers one question and what to listen for in the answer.
- Why the Choice of Recruiter Matters: Who needs filtering out of a typical response, why few hiring managers have time to do it properly, and why your recruiter becomes the face of your organisation.
- How Do You Choose the Best CVs?: The controls a recruiter should use to separate suitable applicants from keyword-matched CVs, and how to ask them to walk you through a recent shortlist.
- Have You Recruited for Other Organisations in Our Sector?: What a good answer should include, from examples of similar roles to a realistic market view, and how to judge a capable recruiter who is new to your sector.
- Are Cover Letters Still Relevant, and What Makes a Good One?: What a cover letter reveals that a CV cannot, the warning signs to look for, and what to ask if your recruiter dismisses them altogether.
- Do You Check References and Qualifications, and When?: How a good recruiter decides which qualifications to verify, the different approaches to references, and why essential checks should be agreed in the brief.
- What Involvement Will I Have in the Process?: The questions that define what the service includes, and why you should ask for a written recruitment schedule that you have questioned and agreed.
- How Much Will the Service Cost?: The main fee models, what to check before you sign, and what happens if the appointed candidate leaves early or the appointment does not work out.
- Your Pre-Engagement Checklist: Every question in one list to take into a meeting with a prospective recruitment partner, covering screening, sector knowledge, checks, service, reporting and fees.
- Choosing the Right Recruitment Partner: What the right recruiter's answers should add up to: a clear method, sector understanding, proportionate checks, a service shaped around you and transparent fees.
What the data says
Five figures from the guide on hiring timescales, early leavers and the value of specialist recruitment support, each linked to its source.
- 30%: 30% of UK organisations that recruited rated recruitment/search consultants among their most effective attraction methods. Source: CIPD, Resourcing and talent planning report 2024
- 12 weeks: The average time to hire in the UK climbed to 12 weeks in spring 2026, up from 10 weeks in autumn 2025. Source: Totaljobs Hiring Trends Update, 2026
- 0.42: Structured interviews have the highest mean validity of common selection methods (.42) in the Sackett et al. meta-analytic update. Source: Sackett et al., Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2023
- 41%: 41% of UK organisations that selected candidates in the past year said new recruits always, mostly or sometimes resigned within their first 12 weeks. Source: CIPD, Resourcing and talent planning report 2024
- 450+: Maxwell Stephens has completed more than 450 client engagements across sectors and regions. Source: Maxwell Stephens, 2026
Sources checked in September 2026. Maxwell Stephens figures are drawn from our own published vacancies and placement records.
See it in practice
Supporting the Expansion of Campbell Lutyens' FM Department
Campbell Lutyens, a global private markets advisory firm, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit an Operations Facilities Manager in London, a hybrid role spanning facilities, operational improvement, change and risk. After detailed market research we approached 46 potential candidates, screened them against the role's technical and behavioural requirements and presented six. The client interviewed three, took two to a second stage and appointed its preferred candidate. When we contacted the appointee about a year later, they reported being extremely happy in the role.
It shows the transparent, evidence-based shortlisting method this guide encourages you to ask any recruiter to explain.
Read the full case study or browse all case studies.
Related reading
- Choosing the Right Recruitment Agency: A Partnership That Lasts
- How to Get the Best Results from a Recruitment Consultant
- 5 Steps to Shortlisting the Right Candidate
More from Maxwell Stephens Insights
Our Insights library covers FM hiring, leadership and careers in more depth. Continue with:
- Why Specialist Recruitment Matters in Facilities Management
- The Executive Guide to FM Recruitment
- The Hidden Cost of Poor Facilities Management Hiring
Browse the full Insights library.
Who this guide is for
Employers deciding whether and how to engage a recruitment consultancy: hiring managers, HR and talent teams, procurement leads and senior leaders planning an appointment in Facilities Management, estates, workplace or any other specialist field.
Talk to Maxwell Stephens
Maxwell Stephens is a specialist Facilities Management recruitment consultancy. If you are planning an FM, estates or workplace appointment, contact us for a confidential conversation, or read our case studies to see how comparable searches were run.