The Small Pond Strategy: Why Great Recruiters Think Smaller, Not Bigger
Most recruiters are obsessed with size. They pride themselves on massive LinkedIn networks, thousands of resume database contacts, and wide-ranging market coverage. But they’re getting it wrong.
The best recruiters I know work with surprisingly small candidate pools - often fewer than 600 people. They’re like master gardeners tending to a carefully curated plot rather than industrial farmers spraying crops across endless fields.
The Power of Going Deep, Not Wide
Think about the last time you needed a specialist - maybe a doctor for a specific condition. Did you want someone who knew a little about everything, or someone who knew everything about your specific problem? Great recruitment works the same way.
When you focus on a specific niche and truly know it, you start to understand things that database searches will never tell you. You know who’s actually open to moving (despite what their LinkedIn says), which managers are quietly struggling with their current teams, and which companies are about to announce changes that could shake up the market.
The Phone-First Philosophy
Here’s something that might sound strange in 2024: the best recruiters still primarily use the phone. Not Slack. Not email. Not LinkedIn InMail. The phone.
I know one recruiter who made 106 calls to reach a specific hiring manager. Most would have given up after three attempts and moved on. But here’s the thing: when you’re operating in a small, focused market, you can’t afford to move on. Every relationship matters.
The Time Truth
Time management in recruitment isn’t about being busy - it’s about being focused. The most successful recruiters spend 80% of their time talking to candidates. Not updating databases. Not writing elaborate marketing emails. Just talking to people.
Think of it like training for a marathon. You don’t improve by doing a little bit of everything - yoga, weightlifting, swimming. You improve by running. A lot.
The Ownership Mindset
The final piece is what the military calls “extreme ownership.” When things go wrong (and they will), great recruiters don’t blame the client, the candidate, or the market. They ask themselves what they could have done differently.
This mindset is liberating because it puts you in control. Every outcome becomes a lesson, not a frustration.
The Reality Check
This approach isn’t easy. It means working 50-60 hour weeks early in your career. It means making those extra calls when others would stop. It means knowing your market so well that you can tell a hiring manager something about their own company they didn’t know.
But here’s the truth: recruitment isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be effective. And sometimes, thinking smaller is the biggest thing you can do.