Why Top Recruiters Never Stop Qualifying

Recruiter:
“So I've found someone perfect, but they're looking for 130. You're offering 115. So I shouldn't send them to you, right?”

Hiring Manager:
“Well... if they're really good, send them to me anyway.”

Recruiter:
“Okay, so you can come up to 130 for the right person for this role?”

Hiring Manager:
“Hmmm… yeah, if they're definitely the right person we could do that.”

Sound familiar?

If you've been in recruiting for more than five minutes, you've had a version of this conversation.

And it highlights something most recruiters overlook:

Qualifying a job order isn’t a one-time event.

It’s ongoing.

Top recruiters qualify:

• When a company first hits their radar

• During the intake call

• When shortlisting

• Even when prepping submittals

Because what people say at the start and what they’re actually willing to do can be two very different things.

Budget? Flexible.
Requirements? Negotiable.
Start date? Depends who you’ve got.

The job description might say 115. But the hiring manager’s actual threshold for the right candidate?
Often more than they’ll admit upfront.

That’s where the best recruiters separate themselves:

They stay curious.
They keep pressure-testing.
They understand that recruiting isn’t just match-making — it’s consultative decision support.

And that mindset?

It’s how the top 5% of recruiters consistently bill in the millions.

Not by taking everything at face value — but by knowing when and how to ask the next question.