Why Working in Agency Recruitment Is Tougher Than Ever

There’s no denying it — working in agency recruitment has always been demanding. It’s fast-paced, competitive, and requires a thick skin. But if you ask most recruiters who’ve been in the game for more than a few years, they’ll tell you that the job has become significantly tougher than it used to be.

For many, agency recruitment is tougher than it's ever been.

The Market Has Changed — Dramatically

Once upon a time, recruitment was driven by relationships. A good recruiter could pick up the phone, have a few solid clients on speed dial, and rely on repeat business. Today, however, the landscape looks very different.

Clients are savvier, procurement teams are tighter, and margins are slimmer. Many organisations have internal talent teams now, often well-resourced and equipped with technology that cuts agency recruiters out of the picture altogether. Where an agency once filled the bulk of a company’s roles, now they’re brought in only for the hardest-to-fill positions — and often with reduced fees and heightened expectations.

Candidates Have More Power Than Ever

Candidates today are more informed, more cautious, and often less loyal. They’ve read every blog, listened to every podcast, and know their market value to the decimal point. Ghosting has become an unfortunate norm, and expectations around flexibility, salary, and progression are at an all-time high.

For recruiters, that means more time managing expectations, more conversations about culture and hybrid working, and more emphasis on providing an authentic, consultative experience. In other words, more effort for fewer guaranteed results.

Targets, Pressure, and Burnout

The industry has always been target-driven – that’s part of what attracts ambitious people to it. But the pressure today feels heavier. KPIs are still there, but the margins are tighter and the wins harder fought. The constant juggling of business development, candidate sourcing, client management, and admin (on systems that seem to multiply every year) leaves many recruiters stretched thin.

Add to that the 24/7 nature of modern communication – candidates texting after hours, clients expecting immediate replies – and the boundaries between work and life blur quickly. It’s no wonder burnout has become one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.

Yet, It Still Matters

Despite all of this, there’s something unique about agency recruitment that keeps people coming back. It’s the thrill of finding that perfect fit, the satisfaction of solving a problem no one else could, and the relationships that outlast placements. Good recruiters still make a huge impact – not just on businesses, but on people’s lives.

But we have to be honest with ourselves: it’s not getting easier. To succeed now requires sharper commercial awareness, genuine resilience, and a commitment to evolving with the industry rather than fighting against it.

Final Thoughts

Working in agency recruitment today demands more than just sales skills and people skills – it demands adaptability, emotional intelligence, and grit. The job hasn’t lost its rewards, but the path to earning them has become far steeper.

If you’re thriving in this environment, you’re doing something right. And if you’re finding it tough – you’re not alone.

The industry has changed, but so too have the recruiters who succeed in it. They’re not just hustlers anymore – they’re strategists, advisors, and relationship-builders operating in one of the toughest yet most rewarding professions out there.