In this guide 6 sections
Build the pipeline around the submission, not the candidate. Each submission links one candidate to one requisition and carries a stage from briefing to joining, plus the fee terms. Fix the stage names, decide who may move a card, and add a reason code for every drop.
Start from the requisition
Every placement begins with a client asking for someone. Record that request first: role, location, salary band, accepted notice period, fee terms and the hiring manager’s name. Without it, CVs float with no purpose.
Give each requisition an owner on your side and a status: open, on hold, filled by you, filled elsewhere, closed. The last two matter. They show where your effort was wasted.
Note exclusivity as well. If three agencies work the same role, speed decides the fee.
- Client, role and hiring manager
- Fee percentage or flat fee, and replacement period
- Exclusive or shared with other agencies
- Target closing date
- Recruiter responsible
Fix the stages and their meaning
Pick stages that everyone defines the same way. A workable set runs: sourced, screened, submitted, client interview, offer made, offer accepted, joined. Write one line for each stage saying what evidence moves a card forward, such as a mailed CV or a signed offer letter.
Avoid vague stages such as “in progress”. A card parked there for three weeks says nothing.
Add a dropped stage with a reason: candidate withdrew, rejected by client, counter-offer accepted, role cancelled. Those reasons reveal whether you have a sourcing problem or a client problem.
Attach candidate, client and fee to every submission
A candidate can go to two clients at once, and a client sees ten of your candidates, so the unit of tracking is the submission. It holds the candidate, the requisition, the date sent, the CV version and the fee that would apply.
Record who submitted first. When two agencies send the same person, the exact date and time settles the fee argument.
Store the CV that was actually sent, not just the latest edit.
- Candidate and requisition linked
- Date and time sent to the client
- CV and cover note version
- Interview slots and feedback
- Offer, joining date and fee due
Stop work living in inboxes
Most lost submissions hide in one recruiter’s mailbox or a private sheet. Agree that nothing counts as submitted until it is logged, and that every client email carrying interview feedback is copied into the card on the day it arrives.
Review the pipeline weekly by requisition, not by recruiter. For each open role ask how many were submitted, how many are interviewing, what is stuck, and who is chasing.
Set an ageing rule. A submission with no client feedback after five working days gets a chase.
Track the joining, not just the offer
A fee is earned on joining and is often held until the replacement period ends. Track offer accepted, notice served, joining date and the end of that period as four separate dates.
Candidates drop out between offer and joining more often than owners expect, especially when a current employer makes a counter-offer or a notice period is bought out late. Call the day before. It saves fees.
Set up one requisition with real submissions this week and watch where the cards stall.
Placement pipeline board template
A one-page board with seven columns running from sourced to joined, plus a dropped column. Each card shows candidate, client, role, date submitted, days in stage, fee and recruiter. A side table lists requisitions with owner, status, exclusivity and target close date, so ageing roles stand out.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Can a spreadsheet run a placement pipeline?
For a few active roles, yes. It breaks once several recruiters edit it at the same time, so move to shared software when submissions multiply.
How many stages are too many?
More than eight or nine. Recruiters stop updating a long list, so keep only the points where something changes for the client or the fee.
Who should be allowed to move a card?
The recruiter who owns the requisition, with the agency owner able to override. Fewer hands mean cleaner data and fewer arguments over credit.
What should be logged for a rejected candidate?
The reason, the client’s feedback and the date. That record helps you brief better the next time the same client asks for a similar role.