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Week 2 � Topic 1 � Instructor-Led
Players & Tools
in Recruitment
Before you can work a req, you need to understand the world it lives in. Who sent it? Who reviews it? Who gets placed? This session answers all of that.
4
Key Players
2
Engagement Models
5
Steps in the Chain
4
Tool Categories
What This Session Covers
Why This Matters Before Your First Call
In Week 1 you learned HOW to screen a candidate. Now you'll learn WHO asked you to � and why understanding the full picture makes you a dramatically better recruiter.
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Connected to Week 1 Every concept in this session connects back to your screening call. Pay ceiling? That's the margin. Speed of submission? That's VMS competition. RTR urgency? That's because 5 other agencies got the same req at the same time.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
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    Name all 4 players in a US staffing placement � and explain what each one wants
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    Trace a job order from Client all the way through to a candidate start
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    Explain the difference between the Direct Client model and the MSP model
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    Identify the key tools used at each stage: ATS, VMS, job boards, and communication tools
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    Understand why quality + speed is your competitive advantage in this industry
Section 2 of 5
The 4 Players
Every single US staffing placement � without exception � involves exactly these four parties. Know each one's goal, and you'll know how to work with all of them.
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Before you read the cards below Ask yourself: who sent you the job order? Who do you submit the candidate to? Why is there a pay ceiling on every role? Why does speed matter so much? By the time you finish this section, all four questions will be obvious.
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The Client
End Employer / Hiring Company

The company with an open position. They define the job, set the budget, and make the final hire decision. You rarely interact with them directly when an MSP is involved.

Sets requirements Approves interviews Makes hire decision
?? Their Goal
Fill the role quickly with the right person at the agreed budget.
?? Your Role With Them
You compete with other vendors for their attention. Your submission is judged on quality and speed � not relationship (when an MSP is involved).
?? Critical Rule
Never contact the end Client directly unless the MSP explicitly allows it. This can cost the agency the account.
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The MSP
Managed Service Provider

The middleman between the Client and all vendor agencies. The MSP manages every vendor, distributes job orders via VMS, and reviews submissions before forwarding to the client.

Distributes reqs Manages vendors VMS owner
?? Their Goal
Manage all vendor agencies efficiently. Maximise quality of submissions to the Client while ensuring compliance.
?? Your Role With Them
The MSP is your immediate "client" in many enterprise accounts. Build your reputation by submitting fast, clean, compliant profiles.
?? Remember
Not every job order comes through an MSP � some clients work directly with agencies. Know which model you're in before your first call.
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The Vendor
Staffing Agency — Your Role & Workflow

The staffing firm that sources, screens, and submits candidates. You receive the req, work the Boolean search, screen on call, and submit the best fit through VMS.

Sources candidates Screens on call Submits via VMS
?? Your Goal
Source, screen, and submit the best candidate fastest to earn the placement. Your competitive advantage is quality + speed.
?? How the Staffing Firm Earns
The agency earns from the spread between the bill rate (what the client pays) and the pay rate (what the candidate earns). Protecting this margin is everyone's responsibility.
?? Reality Check
5�10 other agencies got the same req at the same time. Your advantage is not the req � it's how fast and cleanly you can fill it.
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The Candidate
The Professional Being Placed

The professional you are sourcing and screening. They only interact with the Vendor � never with the MSP or Client directly. They are both the product you deliver AND a person with real career goals.

Active or passive Signs RTR Your relationship
?? Their Goal
Find a better opportunity � higher pay, better project, more flexibility, or career growth. Frame every pitch around their personal benefit.
?? Two Types
Active: Actively job hunting � easier to engage. Passive: Currently employed but open to the right offer � harder to reach, but often higher quality.
?? Key Mindset
The candidate is both the "product" you deliver to the client AND a person with real career goals. Your job is to match their goals with the client's needs � not just fill a slot.
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Quick Memory Hook Client ? MSP ? US Staffing (you) ? Candidate. The job order flows downward. The money flows upward in reverse � from Client to MSP (minus their fee) to our agency (minus their margin) to Candidate (pay rate).
Section 3 of 5
The Recruitment Ecosystem
The 4 players don't operate in isolation � they follow a precise chain. Every placement flows through these 5 steps in sequence. Skip one, and the placement falls apart.
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Client
Has open position
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MSP
Distributes via VMS
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Agency
Sources & screens
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MSP
Reviews & forwards
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Candidate
Gets placed
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Money flows in the opposite direction to the job order: Client pays bill rate ? MSP collects management fee ? The agency earns placement margin ? Candidate receives pay rate. This is why protecting the margin on every call matters.
The 5-Step Placement Journey
1
Client Raises a Requisition
An internal HR team or hiring manager opens a position. They define the job title, required skills, duration, work location, and budget (bill rate). This req goes to the MSP.
2
MSP Distributes to Vendors � The Clock Starts
The MSP logs the req into the VMS and pushes it to all approved vendor agencies simultaneously. Every vendor � including all of the agency's competitors � sees the same req at the same time. First quality submission often wins.
3
Agency Sources, Screens, and Submits
The recruiter receives the req in Ceipal (or directly via VMS). You run Boolean search on job boards and your ATS database, conduct screening calls on all 14 components, and submit the best-fit profiles back through the VMS.
4
MSP Reviews and Forwards to Client
The MSP reviews your submission for compliance and fit. If it meets the threshold, it's forwarded to the client's hiring manager � who then selects candidates for interview.
5
Client Interviews, Selects, and Candidate Starts
Client interviews shortlisted candidates and makes an offer. The agency handles BGC/DT and onboarding. Candidate starts. The agency invoices and earns the placement fee (the spread between bill rate and pay rate).
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The Most Important Insight in This Section Your competitive advantage is not receiving the req � every other agency gets the same one. Your advantage is how fast and how cleanly you can fill it. Quality candidate + fast submission = your edge.
Section 4 of 5
Direct Client vs MSP Model
Not every job order comes through an MSP. You need to recognise which model you're working in before your first call � because your contact, your submission process, and your constraints are completely different.
?? Direct Client Model
How It Works
The agency receives the job order directly from the client's HR team or hiring manager � via email, portal, or internal job order system.
Your Contact
Client HR manager or hiring manager directly. You may have visibility into who is interviewing and why.
Submissions
Sent directly to the client via email, client portal, or internal system. No VMS layer.
? Advantage
Faster feedback. You can speak to the hiring manager. Relationship-building is possible.
? Challenge
Fewer orders than MSP accounts. Compliance tracking falls on our agency.
Spot This By
Internal job order system or direct email from a client contact. No VMS login required.
?? MSP Model (Enterprise Accounts)
How It Works
Client outsources all vendor management to an MSP. MSP distributes reqs to approved agencies via VMS and manages compliance.
Your Contact
The MSP vendor manager � NOT the client. Direct contact with client is usually prohibited without MSP approval.
Submissions
Through the VMS platform (Beeline, Fieldglass, Coupa, Stafferlink, etc.). Strict format and document requirements.
? Advantage
High volume of job orders. Systematic process. Multiple clients accessed through one MSP relationship.
? Challenge
More competition per req. Management fee reduces margin. VMS adds administrative steps.
Spot This By
You receive a VMS login. Job orders appear on the VMS. Submission requires uploading � not emailing.
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Critical Rule in the MSP Model Never contact the end Client directly when working through an MSP unless explicitly permitted. This is not just a guideline � it's a contractual requirement that can result in our agency losing the account. Always communicate through the MSP vendor manager.
Quick Way to Tell Which Model You're In

Ask yourself: "Did I receive a VMS login?" If yes � you're in the MSP model. All submissions go through the VMS portal. If no, and you're receiving job orders via email or an internal system � you're in the direct model. When in doubt, ask your team lead before submitting.

Section 5 of 5
Tools & Key Terms
You won't have access to all tools during training � but you will from your first day on the floor. Understanding what each tool does before you touch it is what separates a confident starter from a confused one.
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ATS � Applicant Tracking System
Central Database & Workflow
The central hub for managing candidates, job orders, submissions, and notes. Every candidate you screen goes into the ATS. At our agency, this is Ceipal.
What you'll do in it: Create candidate profiles Source from internal DB Tag skills & add notes Submit to job orders Track pipeline status
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VMS � Vendor Management System
MSP Submission Portal
The portal owned by the MSP through which job orders are distributed to agencies and through which you submit candidates. Each MSP may use a different VMS platform.
Common platforms you'll encounter: Beeline Fieldglass (SAP) Coupa Stafferlink Medefis
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Job Boards & Sourcing Channels
External Talent Sourcing
Platforms where you search for candidate resumes using Boolean strings. Each board has a different talent pool � Dice is strongest for US tech/IT roles.
Key platforms: Dice (IT/Tech) LinkedIn Recruiter Monster Indeed CareerBuilder ZipRecruiter
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Communication Tools
Calling, Email & Messaging
Your daily tools for reaching candidates and clients. Softphone for calling, Outlook for professional email (cold reach, RTR emails, submissions).
Your toolkit: Softphone (calls & SMS) Outlook (cold emails) Outlook (RTR emails) MS Word (resumes) MS Excel (tracking)
Key Terms � Click to Expand
Bill Rate vs Pay Rate vs Margin +
Bill Rate: What the client pays the agency per hour for the candidate's work.
Pay Rate: What US Staffing pays the candidate per hour.
Margin (Spread): The difference between the two � this is how The agency earns. Protecting this number on every negotiation call is critical.
?? Internal awareness only: Bill rate, pay rate, and margin are never discussed with the candidate. The candidate only ever hears their pay rate. Margin is confidential business information � never reference it on a call.
RTR � Right to Represent +
A formal (usually written or verbal) consent from the candidate giving the agency permission to submit their resume to a specific client for a specific role. Without RTR, you cannot submit. It also protects against duplicate submissions.
?? On a call: "Before we wrap up � do I have your permission to submit your profile to [Client] for the [Role] position in [Location]? I'll follow up with a confirmation email."
Duplicate Submission +
When the same candidate has already been submitted to the same client by another agency. Most VMS platforms flag duplicates automatically. Submitting a duplicate wastes your time and can damage the agency's relationship with the MSP.
?? On a call: "Have you been submitted to or interviewed with [Client] for this type of role in the last 6 months? I need to check before we proceed."
BGC / DT � Background Check & Drug Test +
Standard pre-onboarding compliance requirements for most US contract roles. BGC verifies employment history, criminal records, and sometimes credit. DT checks for substance use. Both must be confirmed with the candidate before submission.
?? On a call: "This role requires a standard background check and a 7-panel drug test. Are you comfortable proceeding on that basis?"
Hotlist +
A curated list of pre-screened, available candidates in your ATS that you maintain over time. When a new req comes in, your hotlist should be your first port of call � before running any Boolean search. Warm leads convert faster.
?? Workflow: New req arrives ? Check Ceipal hotlist first ? Call warm candidates ? Then open Boolean search on job boards.
Req / Requisition +
The formal job order issued by the client (or distributed by the MSP) that triggers the recruitment process. A req contains the job title, required skills, location, duration, start date, and bill rate. It is distinct from the Job Description (JD), which describes the role. A req is the business and financial approval to hire.
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You've Completed This Topic! You now understand the entire recruitment ecosystem � who the players are, how they connect, which model you're working in, and what tools power the process. This is the foundation for every other topic in Week 2.