What to ask your recruiter

Your Trust in SODA cheat sheet 

A good recruiter should do more than send you a job description and book an interview.

They should help you understand the role, the client, the process and how to make a clear decision. The more you ask, the better prepared you will be.

Use these questions before agreeing to be represented for a role, before an interview, and before accepting an offer.

1. What does the client actually need?

Job descriptions can be useful, but they are not always complete. Sometimes they are too broad, out of date or written before the hiring manager has fully defined the role.

Ask your recruiter:

  • What problem is this hire solving?

  • Why is the role open?

  • Is this a new role or a replacement?

  • What are the client’s main priorities for the first six months?

  • Which skills are essential, and which are flexible?

This helps you understand whether the opportunity fits your experience and where to focus during the interview.

2. What is the interview process?

Before you commit to a process, understand what is involved.

Ask:

  • How many interview stages are there?

  • Who will I be meeting?

  • Will there be a technical test or task?

  • Is the task live, take-home or discussion-based?

  • What does each stage assess?

  • How quickly is the client hoping to move?

This will help you manage your time and prepare properly. It also stops surprises later in the process.

3. What should I prepare before the interview?

Your recruiter should be able to give you more context than the job description alone.

Ask:

  • Which areas of my experience are most relevant?

  • Are there any concerns the client may want to explore?

  • What examples should I prepare?

  • What does the hiring manager care about most?

  • How technical will the conversation be?

For SODA candidates, this is especially useful across Software Engineering, DevOps, Cloud and Infrastructure, Data, Cyber and Go to Market roles, where interview formats can vary a lot between clients.

4. What is the salary range and full package?

Salary should be discussed early enough to avoid wasting time.

Ask:

  • What is the salary or day rate range?

  • Is there flexibility for the right person?

  • What is included in the full package?

  • Is there a bonus, equity, pension, healthcare or learning support?

  • What is the remote or hybrid working policy?

  • Are there any travel expectations?

A good recruiter should help you understand the full offer, not just the headline salary.

5. What do you know about the team?

The company name matters, but the team you join usually matters more.

Ask:

  • Who would I report into?

  • How is the team structured?

  • How experienced is the team?

  • What is the working style?

  • What are the team’s current challenges?

  • How does this role interact with product, engineering, data, security or commercial teams?

This helps you assess whether the role fits how you like to work.

6. How does this role compare with the market?

Your recruiter should understand how the opportunity sits against other roles.

Ask:

  • Is this salary competitive for the level?

  • Is the hiring process typical for this kind of role?

  • Are clients asking for similar skills elsewhere?

  • How strong is my profile for this opportunity?

  • What could make me more competitive?

This is where a specialist recruiter can add real value. They should be able to give you market context, not just process updates.

7. What feedback have other candidates received?

Your recruiter may not be able to share everything, but they can often give helpful patterns.

Ask:

  • Has the client interviewed anyone else?

  • What feedback has the client given so far?

  • Where have candidates struggled?

  • What has the client responded well to?

This can help you avoid common mistakes and prepare answers that are more relevant.

8. How will you represent me to the client?

Before your CV is sent anywhere, you should know how your experience will be positioned.

Ask:

  • What will you highlight about my background?

  • Will you speak to the client before sending my CV?

  • Are you representing anyone else for the role?

  • Will my CV be sent only with my permission?

  • How will you handle salary expectations with the client?

A recruiter should never send your CV to a client without your agreement. You should know where your details are going and how you are being represented.

9. What happens after the interview?

Post interview communication matters.

Ask:

  • When should I expect feedback?

  • Who will speak to the client after the interview?

  • Should I send a follow-up message?

  • What kind of feedback does the client usually provide?

  • What are the next steps if the interview goes well?

This helps you stay clear on timing and avoid second-guessing the process.

10. What should I know before accepting an offer?

Before you accept, make sure you understand the full picture.

Ask:

  • Is the offer final or is there room to discuss it?

  • How does the offer compare with my original expectations?

  • What is the start date?

  • Are there any conditions attached to the offer?

  • When will I receive the contract?

  • What should I check before resigning?

Your recruiter should help you think through the offer properly, not pressure you into a quick decision.

Questions to ask your recruiter before an interview

Before every interview, ask:

  • What is the format?

  • Who am I meeting?

  • What will they be assessing?

  • Which examples should I prepare?

  • Are there any concerns I should be ready to address?

  • What would a strong interview look like for this client?

These questions are simple, but they can make a big difference to your preparation.

Questions to ask your recruiter before accepting an offer

Before accepting, ask:

  • Does the offer match what we discussed?

  • Is there anything missing from the package?

  • Is the start date realistic with my notice period?

  • What should I expect after accepting?

  • How should I handle my resignation?

The right recruiter should help you move from offer to start date with fewer surprises.

Final checklist

Before working with a recruiter on a role, make sure you understand:

  • Where your CV is being sent

  • Why the role is open

  • What the client needs

  • What the interview process looks like

  • What the salary range and package include

  • How your experience will be positioned

  • What happens after each stage

Ask what matters to you

There is no perfect list of questions (despite what this list might have you believe). The right questions depend on what you care about, where you are in your career and what would make a role work for you.

You might want to know about flexibility, progression, management style, team culture, technical standards, salary, benefits, stability, workload, learning opportunities or how quickly the client wants someone to start.

That is the point of working with a recruiter. Your consultant should understand what matters to you and help you assess each role against it.

Before you start a process, tell your SODA consultant what you need from your next move. The more honest you are about your priorities, the easier it is to represent you properly and focus on opportunities that make sense.

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