Backdoor hires are a headache for staffing agencies and recruiting firms, which lead to financial setbacks and strained client relationships.

They normally happen when clients hire candidates directly, skipping the recruiters and dodging the fees owed. This not only costs agencies money but also shakes trust in the recruitment process.

To prevent this from happening, recruiters need to be proactive and put solid strategies in place.

In this blog, we’ll dive into ten smart tactics recruiters can use to prevent backdoor hires and keep your recruitment fee coming in.

10 Ways You Can Prevent Backdoor Hires

Build stronger relationships with your clients

Building strong relationships with clients is important to prevent backdoor hires in staffing agencies.

By focusing on clear communication, recruiters can establish trust and show their dedication to meeting client needs.

Understanding each client’s specific requirements allows recruiters to tailor their services accordingly, strengthening the client partnership.

Moreover, have regular check-ins and updates with clients so that they’re informed and valued throughout the recruitment process, reducing the chances of them looking for candidates on their own.

Educate Your Clients

Educating your clients about the recruitment process and contractual agreements is extremely important for preventing backdoor hires.

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Clients may not fully understand their obligations or the implications of bypassing recruiters. If you’re a recruiter, you must take the time to explain the terms and conditions of engagement clearly, covering aspects like candidate ownership, placement fees, and contractual obligations.

By illustrating the potential consequences of unauthorized hires, recruiters can emphasize the importance of transparency and cooperation throughout the recruitment process. This proactive approach ensures that clients are well-informed and aware of their responsibilities, reducing the likelihood of backdoor hires and fostering stronger client-recruiter relationships.

Implement Clear Contracts

Ensuring clear and comprehensive contracts is key for staffing agencies to prevent backdoor hires effectively.

These contracts must contain specific clauses detailing candidate ownership, placement fees and the consequences of unauthorized hiring practices. Clients are more likely to abide by the contract and wouldn’t be sidestepping recruiters to make direct hires

Be Consistent with Candidate Ownership Audits

It’s always better to regularly conduct candidate ownership audits, which is a crucial practice for staffing agencies to prevent backdoor hires effectively.

These audits involve reviewing candidate interactions and maintaining clear and detailed records to ensure accountability.

By diligently tracking candidate ownership and monitoring any deviations from established procedures, you can swiftly identify instances of unauthorized hiring.

Enforcing rigorous audit procedures helps recruiters uphold the integrity of their candidate database and protect their placement fees.

Keep Track of Online Platforms

To prevent backdoor hires, as a recruiter, you need to keep a close eye on various online platforms like job boards, social media, and professional networking sites.

By regularly checking these platforms for job postings that match candidates in their database, recruiters can spot potential instances of unauthorized

Yes, we know its time consuming. Being proactive in monitoring allows recruiters to stay ahead and take quick action when they notice any suspicious activity.

A better option would be to use a backdoor hire detection tool like HireGuard that can make this process more efficient by sending you alerts whenever relevant job changes are detected

Enforce Non-Solicitation Agreements

Enforcing non-solicitation agreements is essential for preventing backdoor hires and safeguarding the interests of staffing agencies and recruitment firms. These agreements act as a legal safeguard, preventing clients from directly poaching candidates introduced by recruiters for a set period.

Recruiters should ensure that these agreements are clearly outlined in their contractual agreements with clients and consistently enforced. By monitoring client compliance and keeping track of candidate movements, recruiters can swiftly address any breaches of the non-solicitation agreement.

This may involve issuing cease-and-desist letters, taking legal action, or seeking compensation for lost placement fees.

By demonstrating a firm commitment to upholding contractual obligations and protecting candidate relationships, recruiters can discourage clients from engaging in unauthorized hiring practices and maintain the integrity of their recruitment process.

Stay in Touch with Your Clients and Candidates

Keeping in touch regularly with both clients and candidates is crucial for preventing backdoor hires. By staying connected throughout the hiring process, recruiters can establish trust, handle concerns, and showcase their value effectively.

Regular communication enables recruiters to provide timely updates on candidate progress, address any worries from clients or candidates promptly, and show their dedication to delivering exceptional service.

By keeping communication channels open, recruiters can strengthen relationships, minimize misunderstandings, and proactively resolve any issues that may arise. This helps reduce the chances of clients going around recruiters to make unauthorized hires.

Offer Exclusive Candidates for Your Clients

Another simple hack is to provide exclusive candidates. By offering clients access to a handpicked pool of candidates not available elsewhere, you showcase your expertise and value.

This special access shows your deep understanding of the industry and client needs, as well as their knack for identifying top-notch talent that fits specific requirements.

When clients have access to unique and high-caliber candidates through recruiters, they’re less inclined to sidestep the process and make unauthorized hires.

Provide Exceptional Value and Service

Preventing backdoor hires starts with delivering exceptional service throughout the recruitment journey.

By consistently going above and beyond to meet your clients’ needs and expectations, you establish yourself as an invaluable partner in the hiring process.

If you deliver top-quality candidates tailored to your clients requirements, you not only demonstrate their expertise but also show their dedication to client success. Exceptional service also means staying in constant communication, responding promptly to inquiries, and providing personalized attention to client needs.

Invest in a Backdoor Hire Detection Software

With a backdoor hire detection software, you don’t have to worry about backdoor hires anymore.

These software solutions are specifically crafted to monitor online job postings across various platforms and flag potential matches with candidates already in the agency’s database.

Using advanced algorithms and learnings, these tools can spot suspicious job listings that hint at clients trying to sidestep recruiters.

Moreover, they offer real-time alerts and notifications to recruiters, enabling swift action against any unauthorized hiring attempts.

Detect backdoor hires via HireGuard in minutes

Are candidates being hired without your knowledge?

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Check out HireGuard, the backdoor hire detection software for recruiters that also integrates with ATSs such as Bullhorn, JobDiva, PCRecruiter and more.