In today’s competitive talent market, many organisations fall into the trap of believing that more recruitment activity automatically equals better recruitment outcomes. At Montagu Group, we’re seeing a growing trend: clients engaging six, eight, or more agencies for a single role, piling up hundreds of candidate submissions, and yet still missing the quality hire. So, we asked ourselves: what’s really going on?

This article explores why quality trumps quantity when it comes to recruitment, what the risks are of the “spray-and-pray” approach, and how partnering with the right agency—one that acts as an extension of your talent team—can genuinely elevate your employer brand and candidate experience.

Why quantity feels like the safe bet

It’s easy to see why an organisation might go with a strategy of more agencies, more candidate outreach, more submissions. Some of the logic:

• “If we engage six agencies, we’ll cover more ground and get more candidates.”

• “We’ll boost our chances of filling the role faster.”

• “The more options we have, the better the outcome.”

From a process perspective, it looks logical. But when you dig deeper, things don’t always turn out that way.

The illusion of choice

When a role is sent out to six agencies simultaneously, each agency is racing not just the market, but each other. The pressure to deliver fast often means less time spent truly understanding the client, the role, the culture, and the candidate. What happens?

• Candidate screening is rushed.

• The role is framed generically.

• Candidate experience suffers.

• The client ends up with a lot of applications, but less conviction in the fit.

Candidate experience at risk

A candidate we spoke to on the Sunshine Coast described a situation where he was headhunted. He received an email that required him to sign an agreement saying he would only engage with one agency—and not other agencies working for the same client. He felt uneasy and disengaged before even meeting the hiring manager. That experience reflected poorly not only on the agency, but on the client too.

Because of this kind of approach, the market perception of recruitment agencies—and the clients who engage them—can suffer. The sentiment is: “If you’re rushing me or treating me as a commodity, I’m off.” Good candidates often have options. They don’t need to tolerate a poor process.

The cost of taking quantity over quality

It’s not just about bad vibes and damaged employer brand. There are real costs—financial, cultural and strategic.

Lost talent

When a candidate’s first experience of your recruitment process is negative, they may opt out. They may still be perfect for the role—but they withdraw, or don’t progress further with you. That means you miss out on talent that could deliver great value.

Brand damage

Word travels fast in professional networks. Candidates will share their recruitment experience with peers—sometimes publicly, sometimes within industry circles. If your process is perceived as disjointed, unprofessional or rushed, your employer brand suffers. That makes it harder to attract top talent in future.

Hidden costs

• Time wasted by hiring managers sifting through poor-quality applications.

• Internal reputation hit: stakeholders questioning the recruitment function’s value.

• Higher turnover: if the wrong hire is made because speed was prioritised, the long-term human-resources cost increases.

What high-quality recruitment really looks like

So, if we accept that quality is more beneficial than quantity, what does that look like in practice? At Montagu Group we believe high-quality recruitment is defined by:

1. Clear role definition and alignment

Before any agency partner goes to market, the role must be well defined: responsibilities, culture fit, key deliverables, motivations, success metrics, development pathways. When an agency has this clarity, they can represent the role authentically and attract the right candidates.

2. Fewer, but stronger agency partnerships

Rather than casting a wide net, pick two to three agencies with proven expertise in your sector, a strong candidate network, and who can act like an extension of your in-house talent team. This fosters accountability, stronger relationships and shared responsibility for outcomes.

3. Candidate experience as brand experience

Every touchpoint with a candidate—from first contact to offer—reflects on your organisation. Personalised communication, realistic job previews, transparent timelines, respectful negotiations, and timely feedback all signal professionalism and respect. That matters.

4. Quality pipeline over quantity submissions

Rather than hundreds of CVs, aim to receive a handful of highly-qualified, well-screened candidates who are a true fit. The smaller pool should have higher conviction. The time to hire may be marginally longer, but the quality of outcome will be significantly better.

5. Metrics that matter

Track and measure what matters: candidate drop-off rate, client satisfaction with the process, offer-acceptance rate, time-to-productivity, retention beyond 12 months. These metrics reflect true recruitment success, beyond just “number of candidates submitted”.

The client-recruiter partnership: a new paradigm

At Montagu Group, we’ve been on both sides of the table: as the agency partner and observing organisations who get this right—and those who don’t. We’ve found that the most successful engagements share a mindset: treat the recruiter as a strategic talent partner, not an order-taker.

The agency who “owns” your brand

When you engage an agency to act like your internal talent team, you’re saying: “We want you to represent us, to speak for us in the market, to build our brand, to understand our culture.” That leads to a different relationship: one of collaboration, not competition.

Transparent, respectful process

We recently heard of a scenario where a client told multiple agencies to approach a candidate simultaneously for the same role—and required exclusivity from the candidate. The result? Confusion, mistrust, candidate drift. The client lost a great candidate before the process even reached interview.

Contrast that with a process where the agency screens, builds rapport, introduces the candidate authentically, presents the role clearly, and negotiates on behalf of the brand. The experience is better, the outcomes stronger.

Long-term focus

When recruitment is treated as a tactical, one-off activity (“fill this role ASAP”) rather than a strategic investment (“build our talent pipeline and employer brand”), the approach often fails. Organisations that benefit most see recruitment as a long-term partnership, where the agency is part of the talent ecosystem.

When quantity may still be appropriate

Does this mean you should never go broad? Not necessarily. There are situations where multiple agency engagements may make sense:

• Large volume hiring (e.g., for retail or seasonal roles) where the pool is broad and the scale demands multiple channels.

• Urgent positions where speed is critical and a broader spread improves reach.

• Roles in very large geographies or less-defined skill sets, where multiple agencies cover different networks.

However, even in those scenarios, the focus must stay on quality control: clear role specs, one voice to market, consistent candidate experience, and the same brand message regardless of channel.

Practical checklist for recruitment success

Here’s a quick checklist you can adopt in your next hiring process:

Avoiding common pitfalls

Here are some of the recurring mistakes we observe at Montagu Group—and how you can avoid them:

Over-reliance on volume

“Let’s send it everywhere and see who bites.” The danger: you drown in applications, lose control of brand messaging, and the candidate becomes just another CV rather than a person.

Poor candidate communication

Delayed feedback, unclear timelines, multiple contact points—all contribute to frustration and discouragement. In the worst cases the candidate signs up with another brand whose process felt stronger.

Mixed messages in the market

Six agencies approach the same candidate for the same role with different terms, messages and brand narratives. Result: confusion, mixed perception, candidate disengagement.

Underestimating market perception

When a candidate perceives a client as “desperate” or “disorganised”, they may elect to not engage—even if the role is great. The first impression matters.

Why this matters to IT & digital recruitment

For an IT and digital recruitment audience (which is a core Montagu Group specialisation), the stakes are especially high:

• The candidate pool is smaller and often passive (not actively looking).

• Employer brand and culture matter significantly for tech talent.

• Time-to-hire delays cost in missed projects and lost innovation.

• Skill mismatches or cultural misfits in digital teams impact productivity and morale quickly.

By ensuring quality over quantity in your recruitment process, you position your organisation as a thoughtful, candidate-centric employer—with the structural agility and strategic foresight to win in the tech talent market.

Conclusion

If there’s one message to take away it’s this: more isn’t always better. Engaging multiple agencies, inundating the market with generic ads and submitting hundreds of CVs might look like action—but it often doesn’t deliver the outcome you’re after.

Instead, invest a little more time upfront to define the role clearly, choose the right partner agencies, focus on candidate experience and quality submissions. That investment pays dividends: better hires, stronger employer brand, happier hiring managers and candidates alike.

At Montagu Group, we stand by the philosophy of recruitment done right: not just filling a role, but finding the right person who enhances the team, aligns with culture and drives long-term value. Quality over quantity. It’s not just a tagline—it’s how the best organisations recruit in today’s market.

Ready to rethink your recruitment strategy? Drop us a line—let’s talk about how we can be your strategic partner in talent.

Key Takeaways

• More agencies don’t guarantee better results — engaging too many recruiters for one role often dilutes accountability, consistency, and candidate experience.

• Candidate experience equals brand experience — how candidates are treated during recruitment directly shapes how your organisation is perceived in the market.

• Quantity creates noise; quality builds trust — a handful of well-matched, well-screened candidates is more valuable than a flood of unqualified CVs.

• Rushed recruitment can cost great talent — overly competitive processes can alienate strong candidates and damage long-term employer reputation.

• Select fewer, stronger agency partners — working with two or three trusted agencies encourages collaboration, alignment, and better candidate representation.

• Recruitment should be relationship-driven — long-term partnerships allow recruiters to act as an extension of your internal talent team.

• Metrics that matter — measure outcomes like candidate drop-off, offer acceptance, and retention, not just “time to hire” or “number of submissions.”

• Respect and transparency build loyalty — open communication between client, recruiter, and candidate fosters trust and lasting professional relationships.

• In niche markets like IT and digital, where talent is scarce, quality-led recruitment ensures culture fit and sustainable business growth.

• Quality over quantity isn’t just a slogan — it’s the foundation of modern, ethical, and effective recruitment.

If you have a burning topic you’d like to discuss, don’t hesitate to reach out at hello@montagu.com.au.

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