By contrast, agency recruitment, sometimes known as contingency recruiting or ‘retingent’ recruiting, tends to be transactional, volume-driven (and low cost). Multiple agencies typically compete, payment is only made on placement, and the emphasis is on presenting available candidates quickly – rather than conducting deep market research or rigorous assessment.
As a result, it draws largely from the small pool of candidates already looking to move, rather than the higher-quality individuals who are performing well and unlikely to be active in the market.