So, what questions should you be asking your external recruiter before working with them? You shouldn’t hesitate to ask any number of qualifying questions you think are necessary, but asking the right questions is more important than the quantity of questions. We’ve outlined three questions we think are essential when vetting an external recruiter. These questions include:

1. What companies have you worked with recently?

As with any interview, you want to know a little more about a candidate’s experience. With recruiters, you want to know about the companies they’ve worked with recently, as it gives you some insight into the types of companies they work with and the success they’ve had with those companies. Experience with similar companies is always a plus, especially if you can do some backchannel reference checks to see if they helped those companies find what they need.

Don’t be afraid to dive into specifics. Ask about the roles they’ve filled, any challenges they faced hiring for these companies and other qualifying questions. If they have a solid track record, they may even have a network of qualified candidates ready to go for the open positions you have. Overall, this question should help you understand if an external recruiter has the experience and insight needed to help your startup hire top talent fast.

2. How do you source candidates across inbound, outbound and referrals?

Now is a great chance to get some insight into how a potential recruiter goes about their business. Ask about their sourcing strategy across inbound and outbound channels, as well as how they handle referrals. A full-cycle recruiter should have detailed roadmaps for all three sourcing methods. Talk about the successes they have with each sourcing channel and what they've had the most success with for specific roles. This gives you great insight into their processes and candidate pipelines.

This is also a good time to talk about how your company handles sourcing to see if your methods mesh. If you have a preferred method that has been successful in the past, you can talk about how you might go about combining their talents with your current hiring process to make it better or more efficient. Remember, this can be a conversation rather than an interrogation. You want to find out if they’ll fit well with your startup’s hiring needs, but it’s also good for them to be a good culture fit since you’ll be working closely together.

3. What results should I expect in 1, 3 and 6 months?

Finally, you want to ask external recruiters about their timelines. Good recruiters should know how long their processes take and how long it takes them to deliver quality candidates. Talk about the outcomes you expect to see in 1, 3 and 6 months and if they think they can realistically meet those expectations.

Setting clear expectations, timelines and outcomes from the beginning makes sure you’re on the same page the minute you start working together. If a recruiter isn’t able to promise deliverables, you may waste months without them making a single hire. That’s not good for business, and it’s especially not good for a fast-moving, growing startup. 

While asking external recruiters these qualifying questions might feel like you’re adding another interview to your plate, the effort is well worth it in the long run. It’s best to take the time to make a good external hire now, so they can help you make as many internal hires as you need in the future.