What is an MPC???

Is there any better feeling for an agency recruiter to have an "MPC" on his desk to present to a prospect? I know it makes my morning move with more energy and excitement.

But what is an MPC???

For those of us that have been working a desk for more than a year know that this acronym stands for "Most Placeable Candidate". 

However, everyone's definition is different and that can be an issue.

I have trained my staff to work with MPC's as much as possible and our definition looks like this...(BTW - we are in the perm IT space in the Boston area)

Characteristics of a true MPC include:

MUST BE WORKING. Our candidate is pretty happy in their current role but for the right (based on their ideals) opportunity they would consider making a move.

NOT ON THE JOB BOARDS.  We are looking for those "hard to find" candidates that only "engage" with the top recruiters in their industry. If they are on the job boards they are screaming at the top of their lungs for help.

CAREER HISTORY OF STABILITY. In the perm world our clients pay us sizable fee's for candidates that will stick around for at least 3 years. If you are marketing your MPC they better show that they can stick around when the going gets tough.

REALISTIC OUTLOOK. A true MPC must have a realistic compensation expectation, a realistic commute expectation and a realistic position in mind. If they are a three year sw developer and they want their next role to be a principal level position then you should either educate them on the way the market works or run away as fast as you can...not an MPC.

These are just a sample of what a true MPC looks like in our world - if you have other bullet points please send my way.