Recruiter's Pipelines - What's Big Enough?

Another of my trick questions, you ask??? Yes.  There is no such thing as a "Big Enough Pipeline". 

The key though, is what you put into it.  The reason most recruiters that have been at a firm for more then a year (old timer), are able to respond quicker is because 1) they already know what the "real" skills required are and 2)  they have stock piled candidates or resumes already.

Take this slow holiday period to look back over the requirements over this past year.  Separate them into groups:

1) Project Leaders/Managers/Program Managers

2) Analysts - Business and System types

3) Developers - Sub groups for different languages, tools or other specialities

4) Help Desk/Network Support types

5) Any other that you have 10 or more like requirements

Now rank them and set goals for how many candidates you always want in each category.  You now have your pipeline. 

The tough part now comes because it takes disipline to recruit to your pipeline, when you know that commission may or may not come.  But, remember that great baseball movies, "If you build it, they will come".