“Vibe hiring” might feel right in the moment, but it is quietly costing recruitment agencies thousands in lost revenue, poor performance, and high attrition. In today’s tighter UK market, the agencies pulling ahead are not hiring more - instead - they are hiring smarter. In the latest Recruitment Machines blog, I break down why moving away from gut feel towards structured, data-led hiring is driving higher revenue per head and stronger, more aligned teams.
If you are still hiring recruiters based on “gut feel”, you are gambling with your business. Many… MANY… people have made this mistake (including myself).
With all the resources available to us in 2026, vibe hiring is a dangerous game to play.
It used to be purely on volume… “hire 2 to keep 1”. I think it is no longer about how many bums you can get on seats but it is about how effective those people are once they are there.
I’ve been on a few talks with the Staffing Industry Analysts recently and data shows it’s generally down in the UK. At the same time, businesses across sectors are cutting jobs or holding back on hiring altogether due to rising costs and uncertainty.
So… what does that mean for you? It means every single hire matters more than it did two years ago.
And the agencies that understand this are pulling away from the pack.
Spend enough time in a recruitment office, and you start to notice the pattern.
A consultant might have seven offers out with clients, and someone asks how things are going, they shrug.
Another consultant lands a £35k placement and acts like it is just another Friday.
I know this mindset comes from experience. Recruiters have been burned enough times to avoid getting ahead of themselves.
But optimism and cynicism are not opposites in recruitment.
In fact, the best recruiters often carry both at the same time.
They know deals fall apart
They know candidates accept counteroffers
They know clients can disappear overnight
Yet they still behave as if the next call could land a deal – all they do is try to control the controllables.
And that optimism drives activity, and the activity drives revenue.
We have all done it.
Someone interviews well, they have good energy and say the right things. You can see a bit of yourself in them. Probably support the same team as you as well.
You can imagine them on the phone and go “Yeah, they’ll be good!”
The offer goes out and then 3 months later… they’re crap.
This is vibe hiring.
And for years, the industry has been full of it – I am guilty of it as well.
But the agencies that are scaling right now are moving away from that completely. I recently spent time with Gene East, GTM Talent Solutions at a content day, and one thing stood out straight away.
I can see everyone being a success.
Sometimes you can just tell who will, and who won’t make it.
But in Gene East, GTM Talent Solutions - every person in that business had been hired deliberately. Tested. Assessed. Understood.
It sounds simple. But very few agencies actually do it properly.
I think the market is forcing it.
We are in… what the boffins are calling it… a “stabilisation” phase in recruitment.
Hiring demand is still soft in certain areas, but the decline is slowing.
At the same time, costs are going up. Wages, employer contributions, operational overhead. Even outside recruitment, UK businesses are under pressure. Many are planning job cuts or pausing hiring altogether.
A huge shout out to Rt Hon Rachel Reeves for this … THANK YOU. You’ve been great for small businesses 😩
So if you are running a 10-50 head agency, you cannot afford passengers.
Generally, you do not need more recruiters – but better ones.
This is where things get interesting for me.
The value of a business goes up when you’re not carrying spare parts.
From hiring volume → to hiring quality, results in;
It is not really a hidden secret – it is just a case of getting it right at the start.
“Hiring better” sounds great, but what does it actually mean?
Here is what the best agencies are doing differently:
1. Testing AND talking
Interviews are not enough. People are good at interviews – but the crap ones have had so many interviews that they become great at interview (rather than the job).
The best businesses are using:
What someone says they would do and what they actually do are very different things.
2. Psychometrics and behavioural profiling
This is where a lot of agencies still hesitate – maybe because it’s seen as an immediate cost?
But the ones leaning into it are seeing real results.
Psychometrics are not about putting people in boxes. They are about understanding:
If someone hates rejection, guess what? Recruitment is going to be a tough place for them. Shocking I know…!
3. Understanding drivers, not just experience
There are plenty of “experienced” recruiters coasting - and plenty of less experienced ones who are absolute grafters.
The difference is drivers.
If those drivers do not match what your business offers, it will not work. Simple as that.
4. Hiring for alignment, not just ability
This is the big one I think. You can train skills but you cannot train them to not be a dickhead.
If someone does not buy into how you operate, they will either leave or cause problems.
The best teams are high-performing AND they are pulling in the same direction.
bUt DoEs ThIs ReAlLy WoRk?
Let’s address the elephant in the room - “Yes, but this takes time.”
Correct. And that is exactly why most agencies do not do it.
Desk opens up → need someone quickly → hire the best available person.
But there is a cost to that type of approach:
It is expensive - you just do not see it on a P&L line.
Hiring better recruiters is only half the equation - you also need to attract them.
At Recbound, we spend a lot of time helping recruitment agencies position themselves as places people actually want to work. EVPs, online content, perception – it’s all the ingredients to join - because top recruiters have options.
Top recruiters are:
If your marketing is weak, you will struggle to attract strong candidates.
And then you are back to vibe hiring.
Year 1:
Year 2:
Year 3:
Most agencies are stuck in reactive mode.
I always get a sense of recruiters, teams and general aura when around a recruitment office. I have to say, that it felt like a winning team at Gene East and James shared his views as to why;
“For us, it has always been about building a proper team. Not just good recruiters, but good people. The people we have here are genuinely brilliant, and that is not by accident.
Being based in Bishop’s Stortford adds another layer to it. We are competing with London, so we have to be a place people actively WANT to come to. We need to offer something they cannot get in the City. That might be culture, progression, autonomy, or just a better day-to-day environment.
But it is a two-way street. If we are creating that kind of environment, we expect something back. We want people who are driven, who care, and who are aligned with what we are building.
We have gone through a lot of change over the past couple of years to get to this point. It has not all been easy, but it has been necessary. And now, there is a real sense of clarity and positivity about where we are going and who we are building it with.”
If there is one takeaway from this, it is this:
Hiring for convenience doesn’t work
The market is not forgiving right now - clients are more selective and margins are tighter.
BUT!! That also creates opportunity - because most agencies will not adapt.
Some will keep hiring on gut feel and will keep chasing volume.
If you take a different approach, if you hire deliberately, test properly, and build a team that is aligned and driven… you will come out ahead.