There is so much I want to say but I want you to be surprised so, expect the unexpected. And that’s all I will say about that. If you have not bought your tickets, fret not, you can still register for a virtual ticket. In fact, if you use the code SCSDFF24 you will get 20% off of your virtual ticket. Shhh… That’s just between us.

Okay, I need to finish packing. Tee-hee. SourceCon here I come!!!

Umm…

We now return you to this newsletter, already in progress.

How many reqs should a recruiter be able to handle?

If you were to ask me how many reqs should a recruiter be able to handle prior to the emergence of AI, my short answer would be, “it depends.” Now that there are so many AI-powered tools on the market now, my answer would be… it depends.

If pressed to give a specific number, I would say 25-30.

Both of those are my short answers; this is my long answer, with a bit of context.

When it comes to figuring out how many requisitions a recruiter should be able to handle, the variables are limitless. Nevertheless, I will mention the more notable considerations and some reasoning for each. (Ooohh… don’t I sound smart?)

Quality of Hire: If you want the best of the best, its going to take a lot of selling to convince them to join your firm. Whether or not you represent a Fortune 50 company or a lower 1,000. If the person you want to hire is really good, chances are you will be competing with other companies who want them as well. On the flipside, if the role is not so critical and average workers are acceptable, a larger requisition load is not unreasonable. 

Passive candidates vs Active Candidates: What type of candidate are you focused on? If you are targeting passive candidates, its going to be a longer sales cycle; such is the nature of that type. If you are grabbing people from a job board, a larger requisition load is not unreasonable. Moreover, its a logical assertion to say that the higher level of the job, the smaller the load. 

Experience Level: The best recruiters know how to get things done whereas newbies have a learning curve. The proficiency of the worker has a direct impact on how much work can be handled. This is especially true if the recruiter has to source their own candidates.

Job Descriptions: If a recruiter is handling many different types of jobs then, I would think a smaller requisition load is logical because the recruiter will not be able to submit their candidates to multiple roles. 

Employer Brand: If there is a low offer-acceptance rate, then requisition loads should be lowered; chances are so many searches will have to be extended or reopened. That being said, what do the company's Glassdoor ratings look like? Is there a lot of turnover in the company? What does the stock price look like? Is the ticker trending down or up? If the employee referral rate is low, that suggests a difficult culture to recruit for.

Economic Conditions: If there is a recession in play and layoffs are common in the headlines, chances are candidate response rates will be high. On the other hand, if the economy is booming and the unemployment rate is low, recruiters will have to wait longer to hear back from potential hires.

Relationship Management: How responsive are the hiring managers? Do they reply to emails in a timely manner? Do they constantly cancel interview dates? The best recruiters are the ones who can best manage the hiring managers they support. It is worth mentioning, some hiring managers purport to be too busy to stop working long enough to interview the help they desperately need. 

Resource Allocation: What resources are available to the recruiter? Do they have access to tools like Gem, Humanly, Pin, or Fastr? Does the company firewall prevent them from using certain chrome extensions?

Although there is no universal standard applicable to every industry, personal experience and anecdotal evidence say 25-30. Said number is set on a mix of reqs; some high level passives, some active job seekers with a couple of purple squirrels filtered in.

Have you noticed in my examples that AI tools have little impact on how req load is impacted? Have you noticed that a lot of the hiring consequences come down to the talent and resourcefulness of the recruiter and things out of their control? (Economic conditions, for example) As you may imagine, this is a very controversial topic among recruiters (and sourcers for that matter.) I could be completely off base. Yet, I doubt that, in all modesty.

Hmm… I remember discussing these topics back in the day when SourceCon used to release an annual State of Sourcing survey report. Maybe we need to bring that back? What do you think? Click reply and let me know your thoughts.

Until then,

See you (later this week) at SourceCon!!!!

Jim Stroud
Your SourceCon Editor

Upcoming Conferences

SourceCon

San Diego | Digital

October 22-23, 2024

Learn from and connect with sourcing leaders and professionals. This isn't your typical conference — it's an immersive experience that goes beyond the surface, delving deep into the innovative strategies and cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping the sourcing landscape. (SourceCon)

ERE Recruiting Conference

Anaheim | Digital

November 12-14, 2024

The ERE Recruiting Conference is the premier independent practitioner-led recruiting event that provides actionable insights for TA pros, by TA pros. Join fellow colleagues to discover practical ideas, best practices, and case study solutions from leaders who share your toughest recruiting challenges — and have experience overcoming them. (ERE Recruiting Conference)

See you at SourceCon!