If you’re trying to attract quality recruiters to your business, there’s one place they’ll always look first – your leavers and your attrition rate.

Telling people “we have a great culture” or “there’s real career progression here” won’t cut it anymore. Top recruiters want evidence. They want to see a path, not just hear about one.

Below are the most common red flags we see that stop good recruiters from joining a business – and some thoughts on what to do about them.

1. YOU KEEP HIRING JOB-HOPPERS

If your current team is full of recruiters with short stints (less than 12 months per role), that sends a clear message:

• You may not have clear hiring standards
• Or you’re struggling to attract and retain committed talent

Either way, strong recruiters will spot it a mile away – and they’ll question what they’re stepping into.

2. YOUR TEAM IS FULL OF JUNIORS

Hiring grads or junior recruiters isn’t a problem in itself. But if your business is mostly made up of people with less than two years of experience, that raises concerns about mentorship, sustainability, and balance.

We get it. It’s especially common with younger founders. But it can become a self-perpetuating cycle:
No experienced recruiters join because there’s no one to learn from… and juniors don’t develop because they’re not surrounded by high performers.

The fix?
Make your BD structure and rewards more attractive to experienced consultants. Offer real coaching and development. Invest in helping them grow – not just expecting them to perform.

3. LOW STANDARDS, NO ACCOUNTABILITY

Another red flag? No attrition – but poor performance.

If someone proudly says, “We haven’t lost anyone in ages,” that’s not always a good thing.

Why? Because it might mean they’re sitting on a team of underperformers with nowhere else to go  and no incentive to lift their game. High performers won’t stay long in an environment like that.

Check the billings. Look at output. Quality recruiters always will.

4. YOU CAN’T SCALE PAST 5-8 PEOPLE

Everyone talks about “scaling.” But if your business has hovered between 5 to 8 recruiters for the past 2+ years, you’re not scaling – you’re surviving.

Yes, ups and downs are normal in recruitment. But the real game changers figure out how to grow beyond themselves. That means systems, structure, middle management, and repeatable processes.

Without that, experienced recruiters won’t see a future with you. They’ll see a ceiling.

FINAL WORD

Great recruiters don’t just want a job – they want a business they can grow in and believe in.

If you’re not attracting the people you want, take a hard look at what your team structure, performance, and history are actually saying. It might be telling a different story than you think.