As decision-makers at small and medium recruitment agencies, maximizing profit while providing competitive pricing to clients is crucial. To achieve this, identifying and eliminating unnecessary hiring costs is essential. This article explores top hiring costs you should kill, focusing on temporary recruitment across various industries such as education, IT, and medical. Also, keep an eye out for our next article, “5 Hiring Costs That You Should Never Spare.”

1. Overpriced Jo

Running a recruitment agency means constantly balancing two things: keeping costs under control and keeping quality high.
Cutting the wrong corners, though, can cost you way more in the long run — in lost placements, bad hires, and damaged reputation.

Here are five hiring costs you should never, ever spare — and why protecting these investments will set your agency apart.

1. Q

Reference checks might not be the flashiest part of recruitment, but they’re one of the most important steps you can take to protect your placements — and your reputation.

For small and medium-sized agencies especially, getting reference checks right can mean the difference between a client thanking you... and questioning everything.

Here’s a simple, practical way to approach it — the ABC Guid

You’ve put the right strategies in place.
You’ve tightened your job ads.
You’ve refined your targeting.

And still... here they come.
A flood of resumes.

You might have already followed the proactive advice we shared in Part 1 of our series, ["Handling Too Many Applicants

Ever post a job, think you’ve nailed the description, and then — boom — you’re buried under a mountain of CVs?
It’s a good problem to have... until it isn’t.

If you run a small or mid-sized agency, you’ve probably lived through this.
The trick isn’t just managing the flood — it’s figuring out why it’s happening before you waste hours you don't have.

Let’s get into it.

Finding and winning great clients is the lifeblood of any recruitment agency.
But if you’re running a small team — whether it’s just you or a 20-person crew — you know it’s not always easy to stand out.

That’s where multichannel prospecting becomes your secret weapon.
Done right, it opens doors you didn’t even know were there.

Here’s how smart agencies are making it work — and h

In recruitment, time is everything — and wasting it on weak leads can slow your whole agency down.
When you spot a strong client early, you’re not just saving time; you’re building a relationship that can turn into long-term revenue.

Here’s what the best recruiters look for when they’re sizing up a new client lead.

1. They Respond Fast (and Stay Engaged)

You send an email or leave a vo

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) have become the backbone of modern recruitment — helping agencies manage candidates faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

But there’s a common question a lot of agencies wrestle with:
Should you give your clients (the hiring managers) direct access to your ATS?

The short answer?
It depends — and there are real pros and cons to think about.

If you manage a recruitment agency, you already know your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a critical tool for saving time and keeping the hiring process moving.
But here’s the truth: some candidates have learned how to "game" ATS systems to slip through the initial screening — even if they’re not truly the best fit.

Understanding these tactics isn’t about policing candidates — it’s about strengthening your process to

Building a resilient workforce is not just a matter of filling vacancies.
It is about strategically equipping organizations to meet growth targets, adapt to change, and outperform competitors.

Yet too often, recruitment planning still leans on assumptions rather than evidence — leading to costly misalignment, missed opportunities, and operational drag.

Recruitment agencies have a powerful opportunity to change this dynamic.<