Myth 1: The need for the professional legal recruiter is over. Use the Internet instead.
Fact: Professional legal recruiters know the candidates in the local candidate pool. They expand their networks on a daily basis and contact qualified individuals who may not be actively looking for new employment.

Myth 2: A human resource department does not benefit from a professional legal recruiter’s services.
Fact: As an independent third party, the legal recruiter is not confined by internal pressures or politics and, therefore, the legal recruiter may be able to inform you of matters that may be difficult for a human resources department. The legal recruiter is committed to understanding your needs (now and in the future) and to providing a pre-screened candidate who meets your needs and preferably exceeds your expectations.

Myth 3: It is much more expensive to utilize a legal recruiter’s services than to recruit on your own.
Fact: Take a moment to evaluate the cost in time, money, frustration, and employee morale for the following activities involved in the hiring process:

• Devising, placing and running (and re-running) an ad which may not be seen by the best candidates;
• Sifting, qualifying, contacting, pre-screening, following-up with candidates;
• The longer a position remains vacant, the greater the risks of losing current employees due to the added work load.

Myth 4: During final salary negotiations, the legal recruiter will push the candidate to request a higher salary in order to boost the recruiter’s final fee.
Fact: Part of the legal recruiter’s initial screening process is to assure the prospective candidate’s salary expectations are in line with those of the client. The role of the legal recruiter is to identify the needs and wants of both parties and to effectively communicate them throughout the hiring process so a mutually beneficial arrangement can be arrived at without polarizing the parties in the process.


It is clear from looking at the facts, rather than the myths:

• The potential for hiring a better caliber candidate is greater when the service of a legal recruiter is involved.
• Clear, precise and regular communication between the candidate, the legal recruiter and the client is the key to a mutually beneficial relationship.