The recruiter does not understand priorities, just says 'I need 300 candidates' — how to handle this?

In a situation where a recruiter sets a task simply as "need 300 candidates" without understanding priorities, it is important to clarify the goals and selection criteria. To do this:

• Ask clarifying questions: what skills, experience, and level are important? What deadlines and quality are expected?
• Explain that quantity without quality is ineffective and can lead to wasted time.
• Suggest breaking the task into stages with priorities, for example, first find 50 candidates with key skills, then expand the search.
• Use metrics and reports to show progress and the quality of candidates found.

If the recruiter is not ready for dialogue, automated filters or scripts for initial screening can be offered to ensure at least some level of quality with a large volume.