Recruitment to Recruitment (otherwise known as Rec2Rec) is where a recruiter finds work for another recruitment consultant and is a recruitment consultant themselves.

People outside the industry are often amazed to discover we specialise in recruiting fellow recruitment professionals, but there are reasons why this works so well…

What Does a Rec2Rec Consultant Do?

A Recruitment to Recruitment consultant works in a very specialist part of the recruitment world. Instead of placing candidates into sales, engineering, healthcare or construction roles, they place recruiters into recruitment agencies or recruitment departments of businesses.

This means they deal with people who already understand recruitment, targets, commission, pressure and performance. Because of this, conversations are usually more direct, more honest and much more detailed than in many other types of recruitment.

A Rec2Rec consultant will spend time understanding both sides of the market. On one side are recruitment agencies that are hiring. On the other side are recruiters who may be looking for their next move, even if they are not actively applying for jobs. The consultant matches the two together carefully, taking into account experience, billing history, market knowledge, personality, motivation and long-term career plans. It is not just about filling a vacancy. It is about putting the right recruiter into the right business so both sides benefit.

Who Typically Uses a Rec2Rec Agency?

Rec2Rec agencies work with both recruitment business owners and individual recruiters. On the client side, this includes startup agencies hiring their first consultants, growing firms opening new offices, and well-established recruiters looking to strengthen their teams. These businesses often do not have the time, reach or specialist knowledge to attract the best recruitment talent on their own.

On the candidate side, Rec2Rec agencies support trainees looking to break into recruitment, experienced consultants looking to move market, senior billers wanting better progression, and managers seeking leadership roles. Many recruiters choose to work with a Rec2Rec agency because they are able to access opportunities that are not advertised publicly. This gives them a wider choice and a better chance of finding a role that genuinely suits them.

Why use Rec2Rec?

One legitimate question would be, why wouldn’t a recruitment agency just recruitment their own consultants since they specialise in recruitment?. Well, the answer comes down to specialisation and getting the best offer for the candidate.

When recruitment agencies choose a specialist ‘recruitment to recruitment’ agency to search and select recruitment professionals, they can expect a superior service than would be the case if they ‘just did the recruiting themselves’.

As ‘recruitment to recruitment’ specialists, we know exactly when and where to hunt for outstanding recruitment candidates. If our clients specialise in the recruitment of medical staff, the time it takes them to figure out the ‘rec2rec’ market is usually wasteful, given that this is not a core part of their business.

Diligent agencies quickly learn the function is best left to specialists. This thinking is at the core of their own business models. If their own clients ‘just did the recruiting themselves’, we would have no recruitment industry in the first place!

As a recruitment to recruitment agency, our entire business plan focuses on recruiting high-quality recruitment consultants. Our clients rely on our service since we provide a consistently high standard of candidates. Our network of contacts and ‘house database’ is entirely built to deliver our aim of providing superior recruitment candidates.

Our service adds value to clients’ businesses and means clients save time in the hiring process. We sift and interview candidates for our clients. This means our clients are able to get on with their core business activities without worrying about hiring staff. Our selection process sits at the core of our business. A quality selection process takes time to develop and even more time to implement. In return for our service, our clients save time, money and sanity to spend elsewhere!

Which Sectors Do Recruitment to Recruitment Specialists Operate in?

Areas of recruitment are vast. For example, we specialise in recruiting other recruitment professionals in a range of sectors at Amanda Wright, including:

Legal.
Sales.
Accountancy.
Management.
Blue collar.
Engineering.
Pharmaceutical.
Oil & gas.
M & E.
Aerospace.
Manufacturing.
Education.
Social care.
Nursing.

Our team understand on a deep level the required skills, motivations and personality traits required in order to succeed in each recruitment area outlined above. If you would like to learn more about Amanda Wright’s recruitment to recruitment service, please contact us!

How the Rec2Rec Process Normally Works

Although every agency operates slightly differently, the Rec2Rec process usually begins with a detailed conversation. This allows the consultant to understand the recruiter’s background, current situation and future goals. For clients, it involves a clear briefing on the role, culture, expectations and progression on offer.

From there, suitable matches are identified, interviews are arranged, and feedback is managed on both sides. The Rec2Rec consultant acts as a bridge throughout the process, helping with preparation, negotiation and offer management. Even after a successful placement, many Rec2Rec agencies continue to support both client and candidate through the early months of employment.

What Makes a Good Rec2Rec Candidate?

A strong Rec2Rec candidate is not defined by one single factor. Billing figures matter, but they are not everything. Attitude, consistency, communication style and long-term ambition are just as important. Some recruiters are excellent business developers, others thrive on delivery, and some grow into strong team leaders. A good Rec2Rec consultant looks at the full picture rather than just the numbers.

Employers also look for evidence of stability, honesty and self-awareness. Recruiters who understand their own strengths and limits tend to perform better over time. Rec2Rec helps highlight these qualities and present candidates in a way that reflects who they really are, not just what is written on paper.

How Rec2Rec Supports Your Long-Term Career Growth

A good Rec2Rec service is not only about placing someone into their next job. It is about understanding where that person wants their career to go over the next five, ten or even twenty years. Many recruiters move roles several times during their career, and each move can either build momentum or hold them back if handled poorly.

By working closely with recruiters over time, a rec2rec consultant can offer guidance based on real market insights. This might include advice on when to move, when to stay put, when to change sector, or when to step into management. Because they speak to so many agencies every week, Rec2Rec consultants have a clear view of hiring trends, salary movement and what different businesses really offer behind the scenes. This helps recruiters make better, more confident decisions.

Why Confidentiality Matters in Recruitment to Recruitment

Confidentiality is one of the most important parts of the rec2rec process. Many recruiters who are open to moving are still employed and performing well in their current role. They do not want their employer to know they are exploring options, as this can affect trust, workload and long-term position within the business.

A professional rec2rec agency understands this and treats all conversations with care. Details are never shared with clients without clear permission. CVs are only sent to agencies once the candidate has agreed, and discussions are handled in a discreet and respectful way. This allows recruiters to explore the market safely, without risking their current role.

What’s the Difference Between Internal Hiring and Using a Rec2Rec Specialist?

When recruitment agencies hire internally, they often rely on job adverts, word of mouth or their own database. While this can work, it usually reaches only a small part of the available talent pool. Many of the best recruiters are not actively applying for jobs. They are busy billing and focused on their current desk.

A Rec2Rec specialist spends every day speaking to recruiters across different levels and sectors. This gives them access to passive candidates who would never see an internal advert. It also allows them to move quickly when a role becomes urgent. Because they understand the pressures of recruitment, they can also assess resilience, motivation and cultural fit in a way that internal teams often do not have time to do properly.

Why Rec2Rec Is So Important to the Recruitment Industry

The recruitment industry is built on people. Without strong consultants, there are no placements, no client relationships and no business growth. Recruitment to Recruitment keeps the industry moving by placing the right people into the right businesses at the right time.

By improving hiring standards, reducing poor hires and supporting long-term career development, Rec2Rec helps create stronger recruitment businesses and more successful recruiters. It also raises overall quality across the industry. When agencies invest in the right people, service levels improve, client relationships strengthen, and reputations grow.

Need a Rec2Rec Consultant? Get in Touch Today

If you would like to learn more about Amanda Wright’s recruitment service, please contact us or submit your CV, and a member of our team will reach out to you.

What is Recruitment to Recruitment / Rec2Rec