A large portion of my job is to go out and find new clients and keep the new job opportunities rolling in. I always ask potential new clients if they’re working with other recruiters and if so, what kind of results they’re seeing. Often times the answer is "They haven’t sent us anyone yet!" or "We’ve only gotten a couple of resumes from the recruiters we’re using!" There could many reasons why your recruiter isn’t flooding your in-box with [tag]qualified resumes[/tag]… let’s talk about a few.

* You aren’t willing to pay their [tag]full fee[/tag]. Recruiters work on several open positions at once. If their average fee is 25% and you signed a contract with them at 20%, rest assured that your job search is at the bottom of the priority list.

*Your [tag]salary range[/tag] is off-target. In which case, a good recruiter will consult with you about the current market and where your salary range should be to attract the level of candidate you need.

*The market is tight for the type of person you need. In which case, you might consider retaining your recruiter so she will devote her time on the search until the position is filled.

*What kind of relationship do you have with your recruiter? Are you giving quick feedback on resume submissions? Scheduling interviews in a timely manner? Providing all the necessary information on the job and your interview process? It goes without saying that a better relationship between hiring authority and recruiter will produce better results.

*If HR serves as the primary contact for your recruiter, are you facilitating an open channel of communication between the hiring manager and the recruiter? If HR is the only contact a recruiter has with your agency, chances are the recruiter doesn’t have the full picture. With every client I’ve had, those where I have been able to communicate with the hiring authority are have been the most rewarding. More times than not when HR has been my only contact the job search has been extremely difficult and almost a "battle" to get my candidates through the door. … But that’s a different blog topic!

Does the relationship you have with your recruiter fall into one of these categories? If you’re working with a recruiter and still are not receiving qualified resumes for your openings, take these things into consideration when engaging your next search firm.