Let’s break down why Recruiter Insider is a better alternative to NPS for recruitment agencies and internal hiring teams.

1. The Downsides of NPS

While NPS is a widely used metric, it has significant limitations when applied to recruitment. Some of the key downsides include:

• Lack of Detailed Insights – NPS only captures a single rating, which does not provide the depth needed to understand specific areas for improvement.
• No Context Behind Scores – A simple score does not explain WHY a respondent gave a high or low rating, making it difficult to take meaningful action.
• Infrequency of Feedback – NPS surveys are often conducted quarterly or annually, meaning agencies may miss crucial real-time insights to enhance their services.
• Limited Benchmarking Ability – Because NPS varies across industries, it does not offer recruitment-specific benchmarking that agencies can use to measure performance effectively.
• Generic Application – NPS was designed as a broad customer satisfaction tool, not tailored to the dynamics of recruitment, where multiple touch points and experiences vary.

2. Beyond a Single Metric: Comprehensive Insights vs. Basic Scoring

NPS revolves around a single question: “How likely are you to recommend our service to a friend or colleague?” Respondents answer on a scale of 0-10, and companies use the responses to determine an overall score.

While this can give a general sense of sentiment, it lacks the depth needed to identify specific areas of improvement.

Recruiter Insider, on the other hand, provides detailed, multi-faceted feedback across different touch points of the recruitment journey, including:

• Candidate experience at various stages (interview, candidate/client interview, placement, onboarding) with specific questions
• Client satisfaction with consultant performance and hiring outcomes with specific questions
• Consultant effectiveness in managing candidate and client expectations with specific questions
• Candidate reviews of clients at interview and post-placement
• Work-type differentiated feedback, with specific questions aligned to permanent and contract roles at multiple stages of the hiring process

This depth of insight allows recruitment teams to pinpoint what’s working and what needs improvement, rather than just looking at a number.

Additionally, these insights enable benchmarking of one client to the next, helping agencies enhance relationships with existing clients and provide market intelligence to prospects.

3. Industry-Specific Metrics for Recruitment Success

NPS is a generic business tool that isn’t designed with recruitment-specific metrics in mind.

Recruiter Insider, however, is built exclusively for the recruitment industry, focusing on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that truly matter, such as:

• Candidate experience ratings per recruiter throughout the hiring process
• Quality-of-hire insights
• Consultant performance benchmarking
• Hiring manager feedback depth and areas for improvement
• Case studies based on candidate and client feedback, tailored to job titles, allowing agencies to showcase their expertise in specific roles.

By tracking these industry-relevant KPIs, recruitment teams gain actionable intelligence and invaluable business development and marketing content rather than just a satisfaction score.

4. Contextual and Qualitative Feedback vs. a Standalone Score

One of the biggest drawbacks of NPS is the lack of context behind the score. A hiring manager might rate a service as a 6, but without knowing why, it’s impossible to act on the feedback.

Recruiter Insider captures qualitative feedback alongside numerical scores. Clients and candidates answer specific questions on their experience, allowing recruiters to understand the “why” behind the ratings and make meaningful improvements.

5. Real-Time Analytics for Immediate Action

NPS results are often reviewed at set intervals (quarterly or annually and primarily to candidates that have been placed and no one else), meaning issues may go unresolved for months.

Recruiter Insider, however, provides real-time insights, allowing agencies to act immediately on any concerns.

For example, if candidates consistently rate a recruiter poorly for communication, managers can address the issue before it affects the agency’s reputation. This proactive approach leads to better service and stronger relationships with both clients and candidates.

6. Benchmarking and Performance Comparisons

NPS scores vary widely across industries, making it difficult to benchmark performance against competitors in recruitment. Recruiter Insider, however, allows agencies to compare their performance against industry benchmarks, identifying areas where they excel and where they need to improve.

By leveraging industry-wide benchmarking, agencies using Recruiter Insider can gain a competitive advantage by consistently refining their recruitment process.

Additionally candidate feedback on clients (which NPS hasn't got the flexibility to do) allows for deeper insights into the hiring process that NPS simply can't match.

7. Better Consultant Accountability and Development

Since Recruiter Insider tracks feedback at the individual recruiter level, it provides valuable coaching insights. Recruiters can see how their personal scores compare to agency-wide averages, enabling targeted development and training.

NPS, in contrast, doesn’t provide recruitment-specific insights, making it difficult for managers to understand individual performance trends.

8. Performance Management for Employee Growth

Recruiter Insider goes beyond candidate/client feedback collection by integrating a Performance Management System that ties into candidate and client feedback.

This system includes:

• A competency framework covering 22 role types within an agency
• Measurement of employees against company values
• One-on-one meetings summarised into quarterly performance reviews
• Employee-to-employee feedback, probation reviews, and upward feedback
• Quarterly, bi-annual, or annual performance reviews as a core feature

This structured approach ensures continuous employee development, better alignment with company goals, and improved retention rates.

9. Comprehensive Employee Feedback for Retention

Recruiter Insider also provides a robust employee feedback tool, which measures:

• Employee onboarding and exit sentiment to track employee experiences from start to finish
• Well-being and work-from-home check-ins to support employee engagement and productivity
• A thorough employee sentiment survey covering 12 key areas, helping leadership understand workforce satisfaction and morale

By leveraging this feedback, agencies can proactively address workplace challenges, foster a positive culture, and improve overall employee retention.

10. Driving Agency Growth and Business Success

Beyond improving relationships with candidates and clients, Recruiter Insider provides insights that help agencies optimise their business strategy and growth.

By analysing recruitment trends, consultant performance, and client satisfaction, agencies can:

• Identify high-performing consultants and teams to replicate best practices across the business
• Refine service offerings based on client and candidate needs
• Enhance business development efforts using data-driven insights and case studies
• Improve operational efficiency, reducing hiring timelines and increasing successful placements

By leveraging these insights, agencies can position themselves as market leaders, attract more business, and drive sustained growth.

11. Enhancing Client and Candidate Relationships

Recruiter Insider fosters better communication with both clients and candidates by giving them a structured way to provide feedback.

Rather than just a one-time NPS survey, it creates an ongoing feedback loop, allowing recruiters to continuously improve service delivery and build stronger, long-term relationships.

Conclusion: Why Recruiter Insider Wins Over NPS

While NPS can serve as a high-level indicator of satisfaction, it lacks the depth, context, and actionability required in recruitment. Recruiter Insider is purpose-built for the recruitment industry, providing detailed analytics, real-time insights, and actionable feedback tailored to consultants, candidates, and hiring managers.

For recruitment agencies looking to enhance service quality, drive consultant performance, improve client and candidate satisfaction, and grow their business, Recruiter Insider is the clear winner.

Want to see the difference for yourself?

Get in touch today and experience how Recruiter Insider can transform your recruitment process and help you win more business.