OK, you’ve received a job order from your client and have located a great candidate. Now it’s time to get down to the bottom line: How much is the client willing to pay, and how much is the employee willing to take?
There are many ways this can play out, but one common scenario is when the client company sets a firm bill rate. This can be frustrating for a recruiter because, ultimately, it shrinks the pool of candidates you can provide to the client. For example, if the client will only pay $40 per hour, that means you can only give them candidates around the $28 per hour salary range or less if you want to make a decent profit.
The only thing you can do in this situation is explain to them that they are limiting the quality of candidates you can provide when they put an absolute limit on the bill rate. When you point this out, they will sometimes realize they are only hurting themselves by dictating the bill rate and will become a little more flexible. If that doesn’t work, try to negotiate within their limits and decide whether you will make an hourly income you are satisfied with. If so, go ahead and accept the deal.
