Justin Hillier, CEO of Recruiter Insider, revealed fresh UK market data analysing more than 1,200 consultants and tens of thousands of reviews, showing that candidate experience isn’t a “soft” metric. It directly determines commercial outcomes. The highest‑performing consultants consistently achieve two to four times the fill rates of the lowest quartile, not because they work more jobs or generate more interviews, but because they deliver a measurably better experience throughout the hiring process.
One of the most striking insights was the outsized impact of simply explaining the interview process and timeframes. For permanent roles, doing this well correlates with a 60% uplift in fill rates, and for contract roles the uplift increases to 135%. Consultants who provide clarity early build trust, reduce candidate friction, and help candidates navigate competing processes with confidence. The data also exposed the industry-wide misconception that higher activity equals higher performance. In reality, bottom-quartile consultants generate nearly three times more interviews, yet make fewer placements than top performers. Quality, not volume, is the true differentiator.
Equally compelling were the behavioural insights around communication and preparation. Weekly touchpoints, regardless of channel, significantly reduce poor candidate experiences, with most negative reviews stemming from one predictable cause: lack of follow‑up. High performers also spend more time understanding what candidates actually want (not just salary and availability), driving a 125% improvement in contract fill rates when executed well. When this understanding is paired with meaningful feedback on why a candidate is genuinely suited to a role, the result is a 120% performance lift, demonstrating the compound effect of deeper, more consultative conversations.
The session closed with a challenge to the industry: if agencies truly claim to be service‑led, their KPIs must reflect it.
To dive deeper into the data and hear the full discussion first-hand, watch the complete webinar recording here.