How to Work a Blended Desk
In 2026
–An Eleven-Part Series–
Part Eleven
by
Bob Marshall
October 13th, 2026
Part Eleven – The Recruiter and The Doctor
As we conclude this eleven-part series on working a blended desk, I want to leave you with one final thought from Robocruiter about professionalism and how you position yourself with your clients.
It’s an analogy I’ve used for years, and it remains just as relevant today.
It’s called The Recruiter and the Doctor.
Think about the last time you visited a doctor.
You didn’t go because you wanted someone to agree with your diagnosis. You went because you had a problem and needed an expert to help you solve it.
The doctor asked questions, gathered information, examined the facts, and worked toward a diagnosis before recommending treatment. You expected the doctor to take the lead because that’s what you were paying for: professional knowledge, sound judgment, and a process designed to produce the best possible outcome.
Imagine walking into that office and telling the doctor exactly how to diagnose and treat you. A good doctor would listen to your concerns, but wouldn’t automatically surrender professional judgment simply to make you happy.
That’s the difference between a professional and someone who simply takes orders.
Now, let’s bring that analogy into our business.
When a Hiring Manager comes to you with a difficult opening, a critical staffing problem, or a need for specialized talent, they’re coming to you for professional help. Their people are the lifeblood of their organization, and the quality of their hiring decisions can have a lasting impact on its success.
Your job isn’t simply to take a job order and start sending resumes.
Your job is to understand the problem, ask the right questions, establish the facts, and determine the best way to solve it.
And on a blended desk, that solution might involve a direct-hire placement, a contract professional, or a contractor who eventually converts to permanent employment.
The solution may change. Your responsibility to lead the process doesn’t.
Just as a doctor needs accurate information before recommending treatment, you need meaningful communication with your Hiring Manager before you can deliver the right talent.
You wouldn’t expect a doctor to perform a serious procedure with incomplete information. So why should you accept a recruiting assignment without the information and cooperation necessary to do the job properly?
Here’s the point: You cannot be held fully accountable for results when you have no meaningful control over the process that produces them.
That doesn’t mean ignoring your client’s preferences or insisting that every Hiring Manager work exactly the same way. It means educating your clients, explaining what you need from them, and establishing a professional process that gives the search its best chance of succeeding.
You bring the recruiting expertise. Your client brings knowledge of the business, the position, and the organization. When both sides respect those responsibilities, you have the foundation for a productive partnership.
And that brings me to one final piece of advice.
Worry about earning respect before worrying about being liked.
You don’t need to be difficult, arrogant, or inflexible to establish your professional standing. You need to be knowledgeable, prepared, direct, and consistent. Listen to your clients, explain your reasoning, and have the confidence to recommend the right course of action—even when it’s not the easiest answer to hear.
Respect is earned through the value you bring and the standards you maintain. When clients recognize that you’re helping them make better hiring decisions, trust has a chance to follow.
And when you earn that trust, you stop being viewed as someone who simply fills openings. You become the professional they turn to when the hiring decision really matters.
That’s the position you want to occupy on your blended desk.
One Final Thought
Throughout this series, we’ve explored how to work Direct Hire, Contract Staffing, and Contract-to-Permanent opportunities as parts of one integrated recruiting operation.
We’ve discussed the opportunities, the candidates, the clients, and the processes.
But none of those things will reach their full potential if you don’t position yourself as a professional who knows what they’re doing—and knows how to help clients get the results they need.
Technology changes. Markets change. Recruiting fundamentals don’t.
Carry that principle with you as you continue developing your blended desk operation.
Thank you for following this eleven-part series. I wish you continued success in building a more productive, more versatile, and more profitable recruiting business.
Thank you!
Next week: Our New Series – Planning for 2027
My Best,
Bob
Bob Marshall began his recruiting career over 46 years ago at MR in Reno, NV. In 1986 he established The Bob Marshall Group, International, where he has trained recruiters throughout the United States and also in the United Kingdom, Malta and Cyprus. With a dedication to executive recruiting, he continues to offer his proven training systems to individuals, firms, and private corporations both domestic and in select international territories. To learn more about his activities and descriptions of his products and services, contact him directly @770-898-5550/470-456-0386(cell); bob@themarshallplan.org; or visit his website @ www.TheMarshallPlan.org.
Bob Marshall
President
TBMG, International
205 Elliott Road, Suite 100
McDonough, GA 30252-2704
770-898-5550
520-842-5550 (fax)