Audit the Agency Handoff Before a Search Begins

An agency handoff is not complete when a job description is emailed and a fee is agreed. The employer and agency need a shared operating record for the role, authority, candidate submission, duplicate handling, communication, data, decision evidence, changes, and closeout. Without it, each exception becomes an argument about what someone assumed.

The handoff record supports the approved contract. It does not replace it.

Identify authority and scope

Name the employer owner, agency owner, recruiter contacts, and people who can change the search. State whether the relationship is contingent, retained, exclusive, nonexclusive, project-based, or another approved form. Record the roles, locations, period, and candidate channels in scope.

Separate permission to source from permission to represent the employer publicly, contact named companies, use a logo, publish compensation, or make statements about the process. If an action needs approval, show how approval is recorded.

Define a valid submission

State the information required for a referral, the secure channel, candidate consent or other approved basis, date and time of receipt, and response window. Define how the parties handle a person already known to the employer, introduced by another source, or submitted without the required information.

Do not make a recruiter decide duplicate ownership from memory. Use the contract rule and an auditable timestamp. Escalate disputed cases before the candidate is pulled into conflicting communication.

Map information movement

List which candidate fields the agency sends, why they are needed, who can access them, and where they are stored. Do the same for employer information sent to the agency. Include deletion, correction, security incident, and search-closeout processes.

OhioMeansJobs centers can provide employer services such as job-posting support, application assistance, screening, and referrals. The official OhioMeansJobs employer-services description shows why teams should identify the exact service and responsible channel instead of treating every external source as the same type of agency.

Align communication and evidence

Define who schedules each stage, who sends status updates, and whether the agency or employer closes the loop. Give the agency the approved selection criteria and change notice. Do not ask it to infer a new requirement from rejected candidates.

For each interview stage, state what evidence is requested and how feedback returns. Protect candidate information and avoid sending subjective notes that are not needed for the decision.

Close the search deliberately

Record the selected outcome, outstanding candidates, required messages, invoices or fee events, retained records, deleted records, and date when search authority ends. Confirm that public advertisements and outreach stop.

Review exceptions after closeout: duplicate disputes, late feedback, unapproved claims, insecure transfers, or criteria changes. Assign one change for the next handoff.

A clear handoff does not remove every disagreement. It gives the parties a shared record for resolving one without shifting confusion to the candidate.