Candidate ownership is an agency rule that assigns responsibility or commercial credit for a candidate relationship, introduction, or job-specific representation. It may determine which recruiter manages the record, who can submit the person to a client, how commission is credited, or whether an agency can claim a fee after an introduction.<\/p>\n
The phrase does not mean that an agency owns a person. Candidates retain control over their career choices and personal information. Internal ownership rules do not replace candidate consent, client terms, privacy obligations, or applicable law.<\/p>\n
The meaning changes by context. Database ownership may identify the recruiter responsible for the relationship. Job ownership may identify who represents the candidate for one assignment. Commercial ownership may refer to an introduction or fee-protection clause in an agency’s client agreement.<\/p>\n
An agency should define the ownership object before applying a rule. Is the rule attached to the master person record, a job attachment, a client introduction, a source event, or a commercial claim? Treating all five as one field creates conflict.<\/p>\n
A practical workflow is:<\/p>\n
Recruiter A adds a finance candidate to the database and has an exploratory call. Six months later, Recruiter B identifies the same person for a controller role, confirms interest, and submits the candidate to a client.<\/p>\n
An agency with a single \u201ccandidate owner\u201d rule may create a dispute. A clearer policy separates the events:<\/p>\n
Recruiter A receives source or relationship credit under the agency’s internal policy.<\/p>\n
Recruiter B owns the job-specific process and delivery work.<\/p>\n
The candidate’s consent determines whether the submission proceeds.<\/p>\n
The client’s accepted terms and introduction evidence determine any agency fee claim.<\/p>\n
If the candidate is hired, the commission split follows the agency’s written plan. The candidate should not be delayed or contacted competitively by colleagues during the internal discussion.<\/p>\n
In retained executive search, ownership must account for off-limits restrictions<\/a>, conflicts, prior client relationships, and assignment confidentiality. AESC standards call for firms to identify, disclose, and resolve conflicts of interest with clients and candidates.<\/p>\n