Don’t you just love some clients… and, well, others not so much?

As rec2rec specialists we see behind the door of lots of recruitment businesses every year. We see how they treat their people. We see how they behave when no one is watching. We see the difference between what’s promised in an interview and what actually happens.

We all know curiosity is powerful in recruitment, but being a curious cat when it comes to your career without the right guidance can land you in the wrong place.

Insight can be the difference between improving your career, or damaging it badly.

We know that the best recruitment businesses to work for are consistent.

• They agree terms and stick to the arrangement
• They interview quickly and respect a candidate’s time
• They give proper feedback
• They offer sensible salaries aligned to expectations
• They pay invoices on time
• They operate with healthy work-out rates and transparent commission structures

Most importantly, they treat people – candidates and employees – with respect

Then there are others

• The ones who drag out interview processes for weeks
• Who shift the goalposts on salary at offer stage
• Who overpromise on market share, "warm desks", or support
• Who can’t articulate a clear plan for growth
• Who talk a big game about billings but can’t evidence performance metrics

Sometimes the red flags are subtle. Sometimes they’re obvious, but if we have made previous placements with a company chances are we know what feedback has been like and from multiple sources. 

When you lock into a job search, perhaps frustrated, perhaps eager for progression, perhaps attracted by a bigger OTE, it’s easy to overlook red flags and get carried away buy hot air! 

And that’s where careers get knocked off course.

One Wrong Move Can Set You Back Years

Recruitment is a performance industry.

Your brand matters
Your billing trajectory matters
Your tenure matters

If you underperform because the infrastructure is poor, it still shows as underperformance on paper.

If you leave after six months because what you were sold wasn’t real, that still raises questions in your next interview.

The wrong move isn’t just inconvenient. It can stall momentum, dent confidence and affect earnings for years.

Why Independent Insight Matters

When you work with a specialist rec2rec, you benefit from pattern recognition.

We know:

• Which businesses consistently promote internally
• Which leaders genuinely develop consultants
• Where work-out rates are strong
• Who pays on time
• Which commission schemes deliver best
• Where culture matches the narrative

We also know which environments look attractive on the surface but struggle operationally.

That doesn’t mean every business is perfect. None are. But there’s a difference between normal growing pains and structural issues.

And you deserve to know the difference before you resign.

Protecting Your Long-Term Trajectory

Our role isn’t just to move people. It’s to protect trajectory. To give you context. To challenge assumptions.

Know your options.
Be supported.
Make the right decision.