“Probably less than 5% of all in-house positions are filled through recruiters.” This quote came from a search firm’s website. At the general counsel level, or that of the direct reports to the general counsel, that percentage certainly climbs much higher.
The Infirmation site goes on to observe that in some cities there may be more then 200 legal recruiting firms. “Additionally, many recruiters demand “exclusivity” from their in-house clients meaning that the in-house client is prohibited from advertising the given position and must fill it through the recruiter only. This means that the recruiter has sole discretion to present and exclude candidates.”
What about unsolicited resumes and word of mouth by in-house lawyers?