“How many times have you filled this exact role before?”
It’s a question we hear often in recruiting—and on the surface, it makes sense. You want someone with experience, someone who knows what they’re doing. But here’s the truth: the idea that recruiters must have filled the exact same role before to be effective is a myth—and it’s one that could be costing you great talent.
Let me explain what actually leads to successful hires.
No Two Roles Are the Same
We recently wrapped up a successful search for a Property Manager. Start to finish? Just one month.
And how many people did we reach out to for this position? 102. That’s the level of effort it took to find the right fit.
What’s funny is, this isn’t a role we’re regularly asked to fill. So naturally, some might assume we wouldn’t be the best team for the job. But here’s what I tell clients: no two roles are ever the same.
One client may want a property manager with a commercial background. The next, residential. Another, industrial. Add in differences in team size, reporting structure, company culture, and even personality fit—and suddenly, you’re looking at a completely unique search every time.
The odds of repeating a role exactly as it was before? One in a million.
What Actually Drives Successful Hires: Process Over Parallels
What makes a recruiter effective isn’t how many times they’ve filled this role.
It’s whether they know how to:
- Understand the market
- Find the right people
- Build real relationships
- Ask the right questions
- Follow through
At Debbie Mastel & Associates, that’s what we do. Every day. We rely on experience, instincts, and a hands-on approach to get to know our clients and candidates.
Whether it’s a new kind of role or a familiar one, we bring the same level of commitment and focus—because that’s what leads to successful hires.
Success Story: The Property Manager Hire
Let’s circle back to that Property Manager search. It wasn’t an easy fill. We didn’t have someone “ready on the bench” who matched every detail of the brief. Instead, we got to work, picked up the phone, reached out to our network, and spoke with over 100 people to find the right one.
That’s not luck—it’s effort. It’s persistence. And it’s proof that the right recruiter doesn’t need to have filled your role before. They need to know how to find the right person now.
Why Clients Should Focus on the How, Not the What
When hiring a recruiter, don’t get caught up in job title comparisons.
Instead, ask:
- How do you go about a new search?
- How do you figure out who’s a good fit?
- What kind of questions do you ask?
- Can you find someone for a role you haven’t filled before?
These answers will tell you a lot more about whether you’ve got the right recruiting partner.
Key Takeaways
- Great recruiters adapt to each search—they don’t rely on rinse-and-repeat tactics.
- Effort, strategy, and follow-through are what drive successful hires.
- The real value lies in how a recruiter works, not whether they’ve done the exact same role before.
Let’s Talk Strategy
If you’ve been unsure about working with a recruiter because they haven’t filled your exact role before—let’s talk. At Debbie Mastel & Associates, we’ll roll up our sleeves and do the work to find the right person for your team.
Ready to chat? We’d love to hear from you.