With over 15 years in recruitment, we’ve seen one challenge surface time and again: a disconnect between recruiters and hiring managers on timing. Businesses want the best people, but the best candidates don’t wait around. The tension between hiring with precision and hiring with speed is real, and we see it play out daily.

In our experience, timing isn’t just a factor - it’s the defining variable in hiring outcomes. Data shows time is the single biggest risk in any recruitment process, and in contingent recruitment, that risk is magnified. That’s because recruiters invest time, energy, and specialist market insight upfront, without guaranteed payment unless the hire is made. Every CV submitted, every candidate qualified, every interview coordinated represents a calculated investment to deliver hiring success for our clients.

Contingent recruitment: built on performance, powered by pace

Contingent recruitment is a results-driven model where the recruiter is only paid if a successful hire is made. Unlike retained recruitment, which involves upfront fees, this model places the focus on outcomes rather than effort. Because success depends on securing the right candidate, both recruiter and employer are motivated to move decisively. 

When we work together to keep feedback swift and stages streamlined, candidates remain engaged and less vulnerable to competing offers. In short, shared momentum protects access to the talent you want while maximising the value of the work already invested on your behalf.

The top-tier talent window is shorter than you think

Based on our data, in high-demand markets like tech, engineering, and finance, top candidates are off the market in 5 to 10 days. Each additional 24‑hour delay in feedback increases the probability of a counter‑offer. 

In our experience, high-performing professionals respond to speed and clarity. When hiring managers stall or feedback drags, candidate engagement collapses.Timely, specific communication therefore safeguards candidate engagement far more effectively than additional incentives. 

Candidates notice who moves with purpose

Clear communication signals professionalism. It shows candidates they’re dealing with an organisation that knows what it wants. In our experience, candidates lean towards companies that act with intent - the ones who prioritise interviews, provide timely feedback, and move decisively.

Clear, prompt stages in the recruitment process conveys organisational confidence and reinforce employer brand. We’ve seen countless cases where the employer who moved fast became the employer of choice, not just because of the role, but because of how the process felt.

Recruitment works best as a two-way partnership

We know people - what engages them, what keeps them interested, and what makes them walk away. And we know hiring managers need confidence in every hire.

That’s why the strongest hiring outcomes happen when urgency is matched on both sides. Our role is to help you stay aligned with market expectations so that the pace compliments precision. When clients mirror our urgency with prompt interview scheduling, consistent feedback, and clear decision-making, recruitment shifts from transactional to transformative.

Together, it is possible to tighten workflows, refine pipelines and ensure timelines reflect market reality rather than internal constraints.

The ripple effect of speed in recruitment

Hiring is about more than filling a vacancy. It’s about building capability and culture. A quick, focused hiring process leads to stronger onboarding, faster integration, and better early performance. You’ll get someone contributing sooner and staying longer.

Our experience shows that companies who move fast not only secure the best candidates but also report higher satisfaction with those hires. Delay, by contrast, leaves space for faster‑moving competitors to step in, an opportunity that is seldom recovered.

The recruitment advantage: speed backed by insight

We understand both the urgency candidates feel and the precision hiring managers demand. The balance between the two is where the magic happens. Our experience shows that when recruitment is approached as a shared investment in performance, results improve across the board, from faster time-to-hire to stronger cultural fit and better long-term retention.

This isn’t about rushing the process - it’s about aligning pace with purpose so that efficiency and quality reinforce one another.

Let’s build a faster, smarter recruitment process

If you’re serious about securing the right people at the right time, we’re ready to move. We know what high-performing candidates respond to and we know how to keep them engaged.

Together, we can build a recruitment process that delivers speed, precision, and long-term performance.

If you’re ready to hire with purpose and pace, we’re ready to partner. We know people - and we know how to get them through your doors before the competition does.