There is a common marketing approach used in recruiting that states some form of “we locate the candidates who aren’t looking.” I suppose the hook is that we can find amazing candidates that you can’t find. It’s a hook, I guess. Anyway, here is one I received in an unsolicited email:
What we do is go after the best candidates & the elite that are not currently looking for a job as they already have one. We personally present and sell your specific company’s opportunity to their individual needs. Our clients find that these hidden candidates are more stable, more qualified and haven’t been interviewing all over town.
Stable? More qualified? How does one do this? He talks about presenting and selling your opportunity, but not about qualifying candidates who can succeed in the position. This fact is an important distinction.
I would be wary of any recruiter who attempts to sell a salesperson on an opportunity. Have a discussion, look for fit, determine their abilities…the onus is on the sales candidate to sell you. I would avoid any self-proclaimed sales recruiter who takes the aforementioned approach.