Hiring guide
How to choose a recruiting partner
Choose a recruiting partner by comparing role understanding, sourcing approach, candidate evidence, communication, and written terms. Ask each firm the same questions so you can compare the answers.
ALIVIO WEBSITE GUIDE · PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
Evaluate the working relationship before you sign. This guide explains our approach to scoping a search; it does not report client results or market-wide benchmarks.
Can they explain your hiring problem?
Share the role outcomes, constraints, and where your current process stalls. Ask the firm to explain how those facts would change its search approach. A useful answer should be specific to the role.
What evidence accompanies a candidate?
Ask to see a blank scorecard or an illustrative candidate summary. Look for relevant experience, observed evidence, availability, and open questions. Clarify which checks the firm performs and which remain your responsibility.
Who owns communication and decisions?
Agree on a point of contact, the reporting format, how interview feedback will be collected, and who can change the brief. Ask how the firm handles disagreement about a candidate or a constraint in the market.
How will you judge progress?
Define progress measures that support decisions: qualified conversations, reasons for declining, stage movement, and unresolved obstacles. Counts alone do not show fit. Review an example report and agree on the information you need.
Source: Alivio’s published service descriptions. Written engagement terms govern the scope.
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