180 vs. 360 Recruitment – What’s the Difference?

Have you ever come across the terms ‘180’ or 360’ on recruitment job adverts? In this blog post we explore what those terms represent.

Recruitment is a dynamic industry with multiple career paths, but two of the most common models are 180 recruitment and 360 recruitment.  Agencies might operate primarily with one model or a combination of both depending on business needs, providing recruiters looking for their next role with a range of options to choose from.

Understanding the differences between 180 and 360 recruitment can help both aspiring and experienced recruiters decide which model best suits their skills and career goals, so let’s take a look at what these models are and how they work.

What is 360 recruitment?

360 recruitment is a full-cycle model where recruiters manage the entire recruitment process, from winning clients to placing candidates and negotiating offers.

A 360 recruiter takes ownership of both the client and candidate sides of recruitment, being responsible for:

• Business development – generating business leads, identifying and securing new clients and new job mandates.
• Managing existing client relationships and understanding their hiring needs now and in the future.
• Sourcing, screening, and qualifying candidates.
• Handling salary negotiations and offer management.
• Closing deals and ensuring successful placements.

The pros?

• Full control: You oversee the entire recruitment cycle, giving you greater autonomy and influence over who and what roles you work with.
• Connect with exciting clients: You build long-term business relationships with leaders in your industry.
• Diverse skill development: You gain expertise in both sales (client acquisition) and talent acquisition, making you a well-rounded recruiter.

The cons?

• More responsibility: Balancing sales, recruitment, and relationship management requires strong multitasking skills as you will always have your hands full.
• Challenging for beginners: If you’re just getting started in recruitment, the dual focus can be overwhelming and difficult to pick up.
• Market-dependent success: Thriving in a 360 role requires strong business development skills and knowledge of the industry as you’ll need to win clients before you can make any commission off candidate placements – if you’ve been handed a cold desk, it may be a long while before you start seeing any substantial reward for your work beyond a base salary.

What is 180 recruitment?

180 recruitment refers to a split-desk model where recruiters focus on either candidate sourcing or client management, rather than the entire recruitment process.

Some firms have 180 recruiters dedicated to business development, but in most cases, 180 recruiters work as candidate specialists. Their duties typically include:

• Identifying, sourcing, screening, and qualifying candidates.
• Building and maintaining relationships with job seekers.
• Passing qualified candidates to a separate client-facing team.
• Preparing candidates for interviews and guiding them through the hiring process.

The pros?

• Specialisation: It allows recruiters to focus on just candidate management, making it easier to master specific skills.
• No need for client outreach: This is ideal for those who prefer working closely with candidates over cold-calling businesses, for example.
• Potential to earn right away: You don’t need to worry about securing clients since your desk will already have roles just waiting for you to fill.

The cons?

• Limited exposure: Since your focus is candidate-side, you have little to no scope for engaging directly and building relationships with clients.
• Less control: You’re dependent on your colleagues in business development to bring you jobs to work, giving you less input over the full recruitment process.

Which model is right for you?

Choosing between 180 and 360 recruitment may not be so black-and-white and depends on many factors. It’s not uncommon for recruiters to move between the two models at different points in their career for various reasons.

It’s a good idea to consider what your personal goals and motivations are as this might give you some insight into which model could work best for you.

Consider the following pointers from us to help you make your decision.

180 is best for you if you…

• want to focus on working with candidates.
• prefer a structured role without the added pressure of business development.
• are new to the industry and want to build experience before moving into a 360 role.
• are looking to work in larger agencies where roles are highly specialised.

360 is best for you if you:

• have experience on the candidate side and now want to expand your skillset.
• thrive in a sales-driven environment and enjoy building client relationships.
• prefer full control over the recruitment process, from winning clients to placing candidates.

Both 180 and 360 recruitment models offer unique career opportunities. In general, 180 recruitment is great for those who prefer a specialised, structured role with more rapid earning potential, while 360 recruitment provides greater autonomy and the ability to build deep client and candidate relationships.

At the end of the day, the best model for you depends on your strengths, career goals, and preferred way of working. Whichever path you choose, mastering your role and understanding the industry will set you up for success.