Job order confirmation email

Why put the job order in writing

Most failed searches don't fail at sourcing. They fail because the agency and the client remembered the intake call differently: the salary was "flexible" in the recruiter's notes and fixed in the hiring manager's head, or the client thought the fee was 18% and the agency's terms say 22%. A written confirmation sent the same day turns the conversation into a reference point. When the client later rejects five candidates for lacking a requirement that was never mentioned, you can go back to the email and reset expectations politely.

It also tells you how real the order is. A client who replies within an hour with corrections is engaged. One who never replies may be using several agencies and treating yours as a backup, which is worth knowing before you commit sourcing hours. The job order glossary entry explains how agencies typically qualify orders.

What to confirm

For direct hire and contract searches: title, reporting line, location and work arrangement, salary or rate range, top requirements in priority order, the interview steps and who decides, target start date, the fee and which signed terms apply, and the date of your first submittals.

For temp and volume orders, logistics matter more: exact site address, report time and contact, shift pattern, pay rate and bill rate (including overtime), PPE and dress requirements, screening requirements, and who approves timesheets. Missing one of these is how a crew of twelve shows up at the wrong gate at 6 a.m.

If you haven't got signed terms yet, don't start sourcing on a direct hire search. Send the terms of business email with the confirmation and ask for a signature before you submit candidates, or your fee may be hard to enforce.

Handling changes and multiple agencies

Requirements change, especially on high-volume orders: the client adds ten heads on Thursday or pushes the start by a week. Each change should get a one-line confirmation reply on the same thread so the history stays in one place. Log the order and every revision in your jobs hub so recruiters working the order see the current version, not the one from the intake call.

If the client tells you other agencies are working the same role, note it in the confirmation and agree how duplicate submissions are handled: usually first agency to submit with the candidate's permission. That's where the right-to-represent email comes in, and it saves arguments over fees later.

Next step: first submittals

End the confirmation with dated commitments on both sides: your first shortlist date and the client's feedback turnaround. A good standard is first profiles within three to five business days for professional roles and within 24 to 48 hours for temp orders. When you send profiles, use a consistent candidate submittal email that maps each candidate to the must-haves in the confirmation. Account managers can keep the client relationship, order history and margin view in one business workspace.

Mistakes to avoid

• Waiting until you have candidates to confirm the order.
• Copying the client's job description instead of summarizing what was agreed on the call.
• Leaving the fee out because it feels awkward. It's more awkward at invoice time.
• No feedback commitment from the client, which lets candidates go cold.
• Confirming by phone only for volume orders, where details are easy to mishear.