How many prospective candidates an ESP contacts is not as important as the state of mind a candidate is in.  If you want to improve the odds of attracting your ideal candidate, you must insure the ESP is approaching “passive” candidates: people who are not currently looking.  And frankly, this is one of the major benefits of hiring an ESP.  If you only consider “active” candidates - people who are currently looking - you will miss the opportunity to speak with 80-90% of the candidates who are qualified for your role.  Put another way, for a CEO or VP search your ESP would talk to a tightly qualified group of 100 people to ensure your interests are being met AND in that group 85-90 people will be fully employed.  While it takes more time and skill to cold-call or introduce a potential opportunity to someone who is not looking, the extra effort is worth it. Also, when your ESP only presents candidates who are actively looking, you may be competing with other employers who are also interviewing them. This is why the initial requirements document needs to be tight and speak to a qualified candidate’s needs.  Packaging the opportunity is crucial!  This opens you to direct competition, elevated compensation and a lower probability of success. [Note: retiring baby-boomers and a shrinking labor pool of “talent” will only exasperate it.]