Business development is the part of recruitment that many consultants find hardest to make time for. Delivery always feels more urgent. Yet the agencies that grow steadily are the ones that keep BD going every week, even when desks are busy. The simplest way to make BD productive is to focus on companies that are already hiring. This guide explains where to find them, how to prioritise them and how to approach them.
Why hiring signals matter
Cold calling a random list of businesses is slow and discouraging. Calling a business that has just advertised a role in your specialism is a different conversation. They have a real need today, they have already committed budget to hiring, and you can offer something specific. Hiring signals turn BD from guesswork into a focused list.
Where to find companies that are hiring
There are several reliable places to look.
- Job boards. Roles advertised directly by employers show exactly who is hiring and for what.
- Company careers pages. Many businesses list roles on their own site before or instead of using boards.
- Professional networks. Posts from hiring managers and announcements of growth, new offices or funding often signal hiring ahead.
- News. Expansions, new contracts, new projects and leadership changes frequently lead to hiring.
- Your own database. Past clients who have gone quiet, and candidates you placed who are now managers, are often the warmest leads of all.
Prioritise ruthlessly
You cannot call everyone, so rank your list. A practical approach is to score each company on a few questions.
- Is the role in your specialism and location?
- Is it a role you could realistically fill quickly with candidates you already know?
- Have they been advertising for a while, suggesting they are struggling?
- Do you or your agency have any existing relationship with them?
- Are they likely to hire again, or is this a one off?
Start with the companies that score highest. A short list of well chosen targets beats a long list of loosely matched ones.
Find the right person
The best contact is usually the hiring manager rather than a general inbox. Look for the person the role reports to, or the person responsible for that team. In larger organisations there may be an internal talent team too, and it is worth understanding how they work with agencies before you approach.
Lead with something useful
The strongest opening is relevant and specific. Rather than asking whether they use agencies, mention the role, share something you know about that market, and if you can, mention a candidate profile that might fit, while respecting candidate confidentiality. Keep it short. Your aim is a conversation, not a sale in the first message.
Use more than one channel
A sensible sequence combines a call, an email and a professional network message over a week or two. Many first attempts go unanswered simply because people are busy. Polite, useful follow ups are part of the job, and a clear record of who you have contacted and when stops anyone being chased twice by two consultants.
Make it a routine
BD works best as a fixed habit rather than something squeezed in when delivery is quiet. Many consultants block a regular slot each week. Track the activity, the conversations it creates and the jobs it produces, so you can see what is working. The recruitment KPIs every agency owner should track include BD measures worth reviewing.
Measure what BD is worth
Over time, link BD activity to revenue. Which sources produced the jobs that turned into placements? Which new clients became repeat clients? When BD is tied to placement fees and margins, it becomes much easier to justify the time it takes. That is where financial insights become valuable for BD as well as delivery.
Common mistakes
- Treating BD as something to do only when the desk is quiet.
- Contacting companies outside your specialism because they happen to be hiring.
- Sending generic messages that could have gone to anyone.
- Losing track of who has been contacted, leading to duplicated or forgotten follow ups.
A simple weekly BD plan
Here is one routine many consultants find workable. At the start of the week, spend half an hour building a short list of companies that are hiring in your specialism, using job boards, careers pages and your own database. Score them and choose the top handful. Across the week, make your first approach to each, by phone where possible, followed by a short email. Later in the week, follow up anyone who has not replied and log every outcome. At the end of the week, review what produced conversations and adjust next week's list. Small, steady effort compounds quickly.
Using your own database first
Your existing data is often the richest source of new business. Past clients who have not given you a role recently, contacts who have moved to new companies, and candidates you placed who now manage teams are all warm leads. A quick search for clients you have not spoken to in a few months can produce a better call list than any external source.
How Klose Recruit helps
Klose Recruit includes BD prospecting inside the CRM. You can find companies that are hiring through the Apollo database integration, the open web or your own agency database, and turn them into clients without switching tools. Every touchpoint is logged against the account, and once a client gives you a role it lands straight on the pipeline. See our recruitment CRM page for details.
The takeaway
The most efficient BD starts with companies that are already hiring. Build a focused list from job boards, careers pages, networks, news and your own database, prioritise it carefully, approach the right person with something useful and keep a steady weekly routine. Then measure what it earns, so BD gets the time it deserves.