A hiring manager emails a recruitment agency: "We need a marketing manager, can you help?" The consultant starts searching, sends three CVs and hears back that none fit: the role is actually more technical, the salary is lower than assumed and it needs to be based in the office four days a week. A week has been lost.
A thin brief leads to mismatched candidates. Capturing the brief properly at the start saves time for everyone.
Step 1: know what a good brief looks like
- Role title and purpose
- Key responsibilities
- Essential and desirable requirements
- Salary range and benefits
- Location and working pattern
- Start date
- Interview process
- Who makes the hiring decision
Step 2: ask early
Ask for the core details at first contact, before any searching begins. Client enquiries deserve fast attention, as described in client vacancy enquiries that deserve priority, but speed without detail wastes effort.
Step 3: ask about the non-negotiables
Clients often have one or two requirements that decide everything: a specific qualification, experience in a sector, office attendance. Asking directly avoids surprises.
Step 4: ask about salary honestly
Salary is the most common cause of mismatches. Ask for a range, and explain why: "So we only send candidates who will accept the role."
Step 5: capture in conversation
SpideyChat for recruitment agencies can ask these questions in conversation at any hour, and capture the brief for a consultant to review. The general principle is described in capturing a proper brief from the first message. The capture options are on the forms page.
Hiring manager: We need a marketing manager. Assistant: Thanks. So the consultant can start in the right direction, could you share the location and working pattern, the salary range, the two or three most important requirements and when you'd like them to start?
Step 6: confirm the brief
A consultant should confirm the brief with the client in a short call or message, filling in any gaps. The best capture questions are discussed in the best chatbot questions for capturing high-quality leads.
Step 7: share it with candidates
A clear brief also helps candidates. Many of their questions, covered in candidate questions recruiters answer every day, are answered by a well-written role description.
Step 7b: capture the culture as well as the role
Candidates often decide based on the team, the manager and the working environment as much as the job itself. Asking the client a couple of questions about team size, management style and what makes someone succeed in the role gives the consultant much better material for conversations with candidates. It also helps the consultant screen for fit, which reduces early leavers and the awkward replacement conversations that follow.
Step 7c: agree the timeline for feedback
Slow feedback after interviews is one of the most common reasons good candidates drop out. Agreeing with the client, at the brief stage, how quickly they will give feedback protects the process. Candidates who hear back within a day or two stay engaged; those left waiting a week often accept other offers.
Volume and repeat roles
Some clients hire for the same role repeatedly. Saving the brief as a template for next time speeds up every future vacancy and shows the client that the agency remembers their needs.
Step 8: review after placement
After each placement, note which details mattered most. Refine your brief template over time.
Setting up brief capture
Write your brief template, set the assistant to ask its core questions and make sure each brief reaches a consultant quickly. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain the setup.