What Questions Should a Candidate Ask a Recruiter Before Working With Them?
This advice is based on real conversations with experienced recruiters working across multiple placements and industries.
Topics: questions to ask a recruiter • how to choose a recruitment agency • recruitment red flags • finding a good recruiter • working with a recruiter as a candidate
Quick Answer
Before you let a recruiter represent you, ask how long they've been in the industry, what they do to understand your goals beyond your CV, and how they handle feedback and rejection. The answers will tell you whether a recruiter is genuinely invested in your career — or just chasing a quick placement to hit their targets.
Why I Wrote This (And Why It Matters to You)
I'll be honest. Before I joined TSSI Recruit, I didn't really understand what a recruiter did. Find people jobs, right? Simple enough. But the depth of it — the relationship behind it — I had no idea.
So I started asking questions. Lots of them. I sat down with our founder Nipam Patel, with Tim Koirtyohann, and with Stephanie Ferretti, and I just let them talk. About the industry. About what they've seen. About what they wish more candidates would ask before trusting someone with their career.
What came out of those conversations surprised me. Not because it was shocking — but because it was so honest. So human. And so different from anything I'd read about recruitment before.
I wrote it down. Because if you're a candidate trying to figure out who to trust with your next move, you deserve to know what to actually ask.
The right recruiter doesn't just find you a job. They change the trajectory of your life.
Here are the seven questions I'd now ask any recruiter before deciding to work with them — and what the answers should sound like.
The 7 Questions Every Candidate Should Ask a Recruiter
How long have you been in recruitment?
What do you actually do to understand my goals — not just my CV?
How do you handle rejection — will you tell me if it doesn't work out?
Can you share a placement you're genuinely proud of?
What should I expect from you in terms of communication and timelines?
I've been burned by a recruiter before — why should this time be different?
Are you in this for the long term, or just this one placement?
How Do You Know if a Recruiter Is Experienced Enough to Trust?
You check how long they've been doing this — and whether they stayed because they wanted to, not because they had nowhere else to go. These two questions (Questions 1 and 2 on the list) reveal more about a recruiter's character than anything on their website.
Here's why. Nipam — who has been in recruitment for over 25 years — told me most recruiters don't last. They come in, make some money, burn out, move on. The ones still doing this two decades later because they genuinely love it? Rare. The difference between them and everyone else isn't just experience - it's character.
Nipam put it plainly: "Talk to recruiters who've got a good breadth of experience under their belt for the same company. They're the ones who know what they're talking about." His practical tip? Before you hand over any information, check their LinkedIn profile. "If you get a phone call from a recruiter, before you give up any information, always check out their LinkedIn profile before you commit to anything."
Stephanie said the feedback she hears most often is that recruiters today "sound like they read off a script" — that they're "just pretty much saying what the client or candidate feels like they need to hear," never the honest, straightforward truth. "They trust me because of my approach, which is being straightforward." What people remember about working with Stephanie isn't the placement, it's the experience of being dealt with honestly.
Ask both questions in your first conversation. The answers will tell you more than a hundred five-star reviews.
What Should a Recruiter Do to Understand You Beyond Your CV?
A good recruiter focuses on cultural fit and personal goals — not just qualifications on paper. This is the question (Question 3) that separates the good recruiters from the great ones, and here's why most candidates never think to ask it.
The job description is almost never the whole story. Nobody tells you that upfront.
As Tim told me, the best recruiters focus on "the cultural fit, not just the qualifications" — "putting the right person in the job, not just a qualified person. And that's why we have such a good success rate at retention." They're trying to understand who you are, what drives you, and what kind of environment makes you do your best work.
Tim also drew a line I think every candidate should hear,"There's a difference between helping somebody be a good interview and giving them all of the answers of what the client is looking for." A good recruiter helps you "tell your story without embellishment" — not coach you into pretending to be someone you're not because if you land a role on a half-truth, neither side wins.
So ask your recruiter what they do to understand you. Not your CV. Not your job title. You. If they can't answer that with something specific and genuine — keep looking.
Will a Recruiter Tell You if You Didn't Get the Job?
Yes — if they're worth working with. A recruiter who has personally represented you and sent you to an interview should always call you back with feedback, even when the news is bad. This is Question 4, and honestly, it's the one nobody wants to ask but everyone needs to.
Ghosting. It's the word that comes up every single time someone talks about a bad experience with a recruiter. You went for the interview, you thought it went well and then… nothing.
Nipam doesn't mince his words about this. If he has personally spoken to a candidate and put them forward — especially if they've been for an interview — not calling them back is, in his words, "just unacceptable." It doesn't matter if the news is bad. Especially if the news is bad. "We always push for feedback from our clients as a courtesy to the candidate, so that if the candidate has faltered in the interview, we could at least say, look, this is the reason why — so that they can at least have a chance of doing better in the next interview."
In his experience, "nine times out of ten, when I give a candidate bad news, they're grateful that we've given it to them. Because other people don't do it."
Nipam was equally honest that ghosting runs both ways. With hundreds of applicants per role — "ninety per cent of them haven't read the job description" — and people using AI tools to auto-apply to jobs that aren't relevant, no recruiter can personally reply to all sixty applicants on a single advert. The courtesy you're owed is at its strongest once a recruiter has actually engaged with you — spoken to you, represented you and sent you to an interview. That's the relationship where silence is unforgivable.
Good communication isn't a nice-to-have in recruitment. It's the whole job.
Ask your recruiter directly: if I don't get this role, will you call me and tell me why? If they hesitate, that's your answer.
How Quickly Should a Recruiter Get Back to You?
A good recruiter sets clear expectations from day one — realistic timelines, regular check-ins, and honest communication when things hit a snag. Question 5 is about holding your recruiter to a standard and the good ones expect you to.
Stephanie's whole pitch is built on it. "It's always speed to market, if I tell you that I can work on said need, the delivery needs to be within 48 to 72 business hours and if it's not, then I'm not doing my part." When things hit a snag, her answer is to communicate, not go quiet: "Being straightforward about the challenges that you're having… setting realistic expectations on delivery, then delivering it and if we can't, figuring out a plan B."
Tim made the same point from the other side. Timelines vary from role to role — a job in a strong labour market moves very differently from a niche role in a rural area where you might be looking for someone to relocate — but "there sure needs to be regular contact." A good recruiter sets that expectation with you at the start, so you know what normal looks like and when to chase.
Ask your recruiter what regular communication will look like, and how quickly you can expect to hear back. If they can't tell you that upfront — that tells you something too.
How Can You Tell if a Recruiter Actually Changes Lives?
Ask them to share a placement they're genuinely proud of — not a case study, not a statistic, but a real story. Question 6 is the one that makes a recruiter prove it and the ones worth working with will have a story ready.
I asked Nipam about his, he paused for a moment and then he told me this.
Early in my career, I placed a candidate in a role that, at the time, seemed almost impossible to fill.
A major telecoms company had launched a new product, and the only place in the world it had been implemented was in one country. Now they needed someone to roll it out in another — on the other side of the planet. The talent pool wasn't small. It was practically non-existent.
Somehow, I found him.
He'd never left his home country. He didn't speak a word of English. He was earning a fraction of what the role was offering. But he was one of the only people on the planet with the right experience — and he was willing to go.
So off he went.
What was supposed to be a six-month contract turned into a year and a half. He didn't need to speak English — he just sat in front of a screen and did brilliant work. We lost touch after that. Language barriers made staying connected difficult, and life moved on.
Then, about two years ago, I posted a job ad for a cybersecurity role in the US — and his name popped up. He'd since moved to the States, learned English, built a career, and completely transformed his life.
When we spoke, it was like no time had passed. And then he said something I'll never forget:
"You changed my life."
That one placement — the one that took him halfway across the world — gave him the opportunity to provide for his family in ways he never could have before. It gave him the foundation to learn a new language, relocate, and build a successful career in a completely new country.
He told me if I ever needed anything, he'd do it — no questions asked. Not because he had to, but because he wanted to.
That's the kind of answer you're listening for.
Should You Expect a Long-Term Relationship With Your Recruiter?
Yes. The best recruiters build relationships that last years — not transactions that end the moment a placement closes. Question 7 gets to the heart of what makes a recruiter worth your time.
As Stephanie put it, "everything about what we do is relationship-driven."
Nipam takes that seriously enough to expect it from candidates too — and to model it himself. His view is simple: it's a two-way street. "One thing I dislike is candidates who only talk to me when they're looking for a job. When I approach you and you're quite happy in your job, a simple 'thanks for reaching out, but I'm all right where I'm at — let's keep in touch' goes a long, long way with me." He's turned down roles for people who only resurfaced when they needed something — A little professional courtesy, in both directions, is what builds a relationship that's still there years later, when it matters most.
Ask whether your recruiter wants a relationship or a transaction. The answer shapes everything that comes after.
Frequently Asked Questions About Choosing a Recruiter
What are the biggest red flags when working with a recruiter?
Ghosting after they've personally represented you. No follow-up once you've interviewed. Taking on roles they have no realistic chance of filling. And any recruiter who sounds like they're reading from a script — telling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to know.
What should a recruiter ask me before representing me?
A good recruiter should ask about your goals, your motivations, the kind of culture you thrive in, and where you want to be — not just what's on your CV. If a recruiter only asks about your experience and never asks about your ambitions, they're not building a relationship. They're filling a form.
Is it okay to hold a recruiter accountable for timelines and updates?
Absolutely. A good recruiter will set clear expectations from the start — realistic timelines, what regular communication looks like, and what happens if they hit challenges. If they can't tell you that upfront, ask. If they still can't answer — that tells you everything you need to know.
What makes a good recruiter?
A good recruiter takes the time to understand your goals, communicates honestly, and stays in touch throughout the process — even when the news isn’t positive. They focus on long-term relationships, not just quick placements.
What are red flags when working with a recruiter?
Red flags include vague communication, pushing roles without understanding your goals, disappearing after interviews, or being unable to explain how they’ll represent you to clients.
Should recruiters give feedback after interviews?
Yes. Once a recruiter has represented you or sent you to an interview, they should follow up with feedback. This helps you improve and shows they are genuinely committed to your success.
Do recruiters work for candidates or companies?
Recruiters are paid by companies, but the best ones balance both sides — representing the business while also building long-term relationships with candidates.
One Last Thing
I came into this industry not knowing much, but the more I've listened — really listened — to the people around me at TSSI Recruit, the more I've understood something. The best recruiters aren't just good at their job. They're good people. They remember that behind every CV is someone with a life, a family, and dreams that matter.
We are powered by people. Driven by purpose. And we take both of those things seriously.
If you've got questions — about a role, a search, or just about whether we're the right fit for you — come and ask us. We'd rather have an honest conversation early than a difficult one later.
That's just who we are.
Get in touch with the TSSI Recruit team today. www.tssirecruit.com