Not always, but they should be. The first candidate a client sees becomes the bar they judge everyone else by. If the first one is weak, the client doubts the agency and reads every later submittal looking for problems. If the first one is right, the client relaxes and reads the rest looking for reasons to say yes. So send your strongest match first, and make "strongest" mean closest to the order, not most impressive on paper.
Why order matters
People judge by comparison. The first thing they see becomes the reference point. Hiring managers are no different. A client who meets a strong candidate first spends the rest of the process asking "is this one as good?" A client who meets a weak one first spends it asking "is this agency any good?"
This is not a trick. It is a reason to be careful about what goes out first.
What "strongest" means
Not the longest resume. Not the most senior person. The candidate who most clearly answers the order's must-haves, with proof, and has agreed to the shift, the pay and the start date out loud.
A great engineer who fails one must-have is not your strongest candidate for this order. A solid one who proves all five is.
Do not hold the best one back
Some recruiters send an average candidate first "to set expectations," then the strong one. Clients see through it and it wastes their time. Others hold the strong one for a better order. By the time that order comes, the candidate has a job.
Send the strongest first. Send the second strongest second. Stop when the client has enough to decide, usually at two or three.
For temp orders without interviews
Many temp orders go straight from submittal to start. The same rule holds: the first worker who shows up sets the client's view of your firm. Confirm the strongest match first, and confirm them properly the night before.
Where M-Tracker fits
"Strongest" is a comparison between the candidate and the order. M-Tracker runs that comparison on the submittal before the client sees it and says in plain words which must-haves are proven and which are missing. The recruiter knows which candidate is really the closest match, not just the one who looks best.
Make the first submittal easy to say yes to
The first three lines should answer the must-haves with evidence. "Forklift card renewed March 2026. Two years on nights in cold storage. Confirmed available Monday at $19." Then one line on fit. Then the resume. A client should be able to decide to interview from the first paragraph.
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Questions people ask
Should I tell the client this is my strongest candidate?
No need. Let the submittal show it.
What if my strongest candidate is not available for interview this week?
Send them anyway, with the date they are available. A strong candidate next Tuesday beats a weak one tomorrow.
Does interview order matter for the candidate too?
A little. Candidates interviewed last are fresher in the client's memory. But the first one sets the bar, and that effect is bigger.
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