Why “MPCs Don’t Work” Is a Red Flag, Not a Fact
Sep 29, 2025
Every time I hear a recruiter say “MPCs don’t work,” it tells me one thing:
They still have a lot to learn about business development.
The MPC approach, short for Most Placeable Candidate, isn’t broken.
But it is misunderstood.
Now you’ve got lead gen companies repackaging it as some “revolutionary” play. And they’ve made a ton of money selling it to recruiting firms that don’t understand the fundamentals.
Here’s the truth:
The best recruiters have been using this method forever.
The difference? They know what actually makes it work.
The real MPC play:
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You're using the candidate to start a business conversation, not just to place that one person.
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You choose a skill set that’s always in demand.
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You’ve got intel that the company consistently hires for that skill set.
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You’re presenting a real, reference-checked candidate, not a fake teaser.
Step 3 is where most people go wrong.
That’s the difference between cold outreach and a warm, targeted BD play.
When I was at Aerotek, we used this constantly with maintenance mechanics.
What helped us land client meetings wasn’t just the candidate, it was that we’d narrowed the focus even further:
Mechanics with food & beverage plant experience
We knew those roles were always open, and we had real numbers around what it cost companies to hire the wrong mechanic.
And we didn’t send vague profiles.
We led with resumes and references. That’s what made hiring managers take us seriously.
It worked.
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We placed direct hires at a 30% fee
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We filled contract-to-hire roles at 85% markup in East LA (which was unheard of back then)
Why did it scale?
Because we focused on roles where there were always multiple openings.
We didn’t use this strategy for management-level hires.
Because it’s harder to “land a hit” when openings are rare.
The formula was simple:
In-demand skill set + likelihood of multiple openings = good MPC play
If your MPC strategy isn’t working, it’s not the tactic that’s broken.
It’s how you’re using it.
Ready for a Smarter Approach?
If you’re a consultative recruiter and want a clearer system for winning better work — without wasting time on the wrong roles — book a 30-minute LinkedIn Roadmap Call.
We’ll walk through your strategy and show you the exact approach we’d use in your seat.
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