Why Recruiters Help People They Can’t Bill For

A couple of weeks ago, I posted something on LinkedIn that had nothing to do with a search I was working on.

A Data Analyst I’d gotten to know over the past year and a half was in a time-sensitive situation and needed work immediately. She had a BSc in Computer Science and Statistics, hands-on experience with Python, SQL, and data modeling, and the kind of attention to detail that makes her good at what she does.

But this wasn’t a DMA search. There was no client, no fee, no placement on the other end of it.

I posted it anyway. And the response surprised me — 41 likes, 9 reposts, and several people reaching out to help.

That post said more about how recruitment actually works than most of my job postings do.

The Story Behind the Post

I met this Data Analyst about 18 months ago. Not through a job search — through a conversation. Someone in my network introduced us, and we stayed in touch.

Over that time, I got to know her skills, her work ethic, and what she was looking for. We weren’t working on anything specific together. It was just a relationship.

Then her situation changed quickly. She needed an immediate full-time role — even short-term, six weeks or more — that required a university degree. The timing was critical.

I could have done nothing. She wasn’t a candidate I was placing. There was no client paying me to find someone like her. Helping her didn’t generate revenue for DMA.

But that’s not how I think about my work.

I posted publicly, put her profile in front of my network, and asked people to reach out if they could help. Within hours, people were sharing the post, making introductions, and offering leads.

That’s what a network is supposed to do. And it only works if you invest in it before you need it.

Why Most People Misunderstand How Recruiters Work

There’s a common perception that recruiters only care about placements and commissions. That every conversation has a dollar sign attached to it. That if you’re not a billable candidate, you’re not worth a recruiter’s time.

I understand where that comes from. Some recruiters do operate that way.

But the best recruiters I know — the ones who’ve built careers over decades, not just a few good quarters — don’t think transactionally. They think in relationships.

The difference matters.

A transactional recruiter calls when there’s a role to fill and disappears when there isn’t. A relationship-driven recruiter stays connected. They remember your background. They check in. They think about you when something comes up — even if it’s not something they’re working on directly.

I wrote about this from the candidate’s perspective in how to network with recruiters before you need them. But the other side of that equation is just as important — why do recruiters invest in people between searches? What’s in it for us?

The answer is simpler than people think.

What Advocacy Actually Looks Like

Advocacy in recruitment goes well beyond making a placement.

It looks like recommending someone for a role you’re not working on. Making an introduction without a fee attached. Giving honest career advice even when it doesn’t lead to business. Posting publicly to help someone in your network find work when timing is critical.

It’s different from networking in an important way. Networking is about building connections. Advocacy is about using those connections on someone else’s behalf — sometimes at no benefit to yourself.

The Data Analyst post was advocacy. So is calling a contact at another firm because you know they’re hiring for something that would be a great fit for someone in your network. So is telling a candidate honestly that a role isn’t right for them, even when placing them would mean revenue.

I’ve written before about the difference between referring and advocating in the context of vendor relationships. The same principle applies to people. A referral is passive — here’s a name. Advocacy is active — I know this person, I vouch for them, and I’m putting my reputation behind the introduction.

That distinction matters. And it only works when it’s genuine.

Why This Approach Actually Produces Better Results

This isn’t just about being a good person — though that matters. It’s also about how recruitment actually works at a high level.

Trust compounds over time.

The Data Analyst I helped today might refer a Senior Finance Manager to me in three years. Or she might land at a company that eventually becomes a client. Or someone who saw that post might remember it the next time they need a recruiter and think, “That’s the person who helped someone she didn’t have to.”

I don’t know which of those things will happen. Maybe none of them. But over 20 years of doing this, I can tell you that the placements I’m most proud of almost always trace back to a relationship that started without a fee attached.

People remember who helped them when they didn’t have to. That’s not a business strategy — it’s human nature. But it also happens to be the most effective way to build a network that produces results year after year.

Employers notice this too. When a company is evaluating recruiters, they’re not just looking at databases and candidate volume. They’re looking at how a recruiter treats people. Because how I treat someone I can’t bill for is exactly how I’ll treat their candidates and their search.

What Candidates Should Take Away

If you’re a candidate reading this, here’s what I’d want you to know.

Build relationships with recruiters before you need them. Not when you’re desperate. Not when you’ve just been packaged out. Before. The professionals who do this well are the ones who get called first when something interesting comes up.

Don’t treat recruiters as transactional — because the good ones will respond in kind. If every interaction you have with a recruiter is “Do you have a job for me right now?” you’re missing the point. The better question is: “How can I stay on your radar?”

Stay in touch between job searches. A quick message every few months — an update on what you’re working on, a congratulations on something you saw on LinkedIn, a question about the market — keeps the relationship warm. Following up matters more than most people realize.

And be the kind of person others want to advocate for. That means being responsive, being honest about what you’re looking for, and being professional in every interaction — even when it doesn’t lead to a placement.

The candidates I advocate hardest for aren’t always the ones with the most impressive resumes. They’re the ones I know, trust, and have a genuine relationship with.

What Employers Should Take Away

If you’re an employer choosing a recruiter, pay attention to how they operate between placements.

The recruiter who invests in people beyond billing is the one who has the deepest network. They’re not just pulling from a database of applicants — they’re drawing from years of real relationships. That means they can surface candidates who aren’t actively looking, who wouldn’t respond to a job posting, but who would take a call from someone they trust.

Ask your recruiter: how do you stay connected to candidates between searches? If the answer is “we don’t,” that tells you something about the depth of their network.

Relationship-driven recruiters bring candidates that keyword searches and job boards can’t surface. That’s what working with a boutique firm actually means in practice — not just smaller size, but deeper investment in the people and the market.

What That One Post Really Showed Me

The Data Analyst post got more engagement than most of my job postings. And I think there’s a reason for that.

People respond to authenticity. They respond to someone doing something they don’t have to do. They respond to recruiters acting like real people, not just placement machines.

That post wasn’t a marketing strategy. It was a Tuesday.

But it’s also a reflection of how I’ve always approached this work. The relationships that matter most in recruitment aren’t the ones that generate immediate revenue. They’re the ones that build trust over time — trust that eventually leads to better placements, stronger networks, and a reputation that opens doors.

I didn’t help that Data Analyst because I expected something in return. I helped her because that’s what my network is for.

And if more recruiters operated that way, the entire industry would be better for it.

Ready for a Conversation?

If you’re a candidate, reach out before you need help — not after. The best time to build a relationship with a recruiter is when there’s no urgency.

If you’re an employer, look for recruiters who invest in people, not just placements. The depth of their network is directly tied to how they treat people when there’s nothing in it for them.

At Debbie Mastel & Associates, this is how we’ve always worked. Relationships first. Results follow.

If you want to connect — about an opportunity, about the market, or just to introduce yourself — I’m always open to a conversation.

Why Recruiters Help People They Can’t Bill For FAQs