A recruiter called!
Now what?
A recruiter called you for one of four reasons.
You applied to a job that they are directly working on for their own company (they are an in-house recruiter) or their client’s company (they are an agency recruiter).
You fit the profile for a hard-to-fill job based on information found on LinkedIn or within their in-house ATS, even though you haven’t applied for this particular job.
They are trying to build up relationships with the types of candidates that they place often so that their network is deep when an ideal role comes in for someone with your background.
They are trying to find people to present to a potential client they have been targeting.
It’s likely that the recruiter is calling you out of the blue - and you may be in the middle of something completely unrelated to a job search. Say so. A recruiter doesn’t want to waste your time or theirs and most have the good sense to ask, “Did I catch you at a good time for a brief chat?” That’s your queue to tell them the truth. If it’s not a good time, look at your calendar and suggest another time so you and they can be prepared for the call.
It’s possible that the recruiter called and you didn’t answer. I don’t blame you. This is why you want to be sure your voicemail is set up and available to take messages. You’ll never know if you missed your ideal job because the recruiter couldn’t leave a message and they just went on to the next person in the list.
(Sometimes recruiters have tons of time and will also text and email to reach you. sometimes they won’t. Each recruiter has their own preferred process, so make sure you’re able to get messages.)
Listen to the message and reply in kind with a good time to talk.
Now it’s time to find out why they called.
You applied to the job and they’re calling because they have your application. This is clear and straightforward. The recruiter will tell you that they have your application and are calling about the specific position. Please don’t tell them “I applied to a few hundred jobs, can you tell me again which one this is?” This is why I advocate creating your own tracking system for tracking your job submissions. Ask if the recruiter is in-house or agency and if you really want to understand what the difference is, ask each of them how they will be paid if you are hired. Sometimes an agency will reach out about a role with a company where you have already applied, let them know that you already applied to that position. Having an agency recruiter will not help you get the job if you have already applied.
You fit the profile but haven’t applied for this job. The recruiter will tell you this and let you know that they presume you’re happy in your current role but they wanted to share with you in the hopes that you or someone you know may be interested in learning more. This is a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the position. I recommend genuine curiosity in this conversation. The recruiter knows it’s rare that you’re going to jump from your current role because of one phone call. Provided your skills are unique enough and your results clear enough, the recruiter will be happy to get to know more about you and your current and future career goals. Be curious and professional, ask about the company, the KPIs and the future growth. Don’t make any commitments if you aren’t in the market for a new position. It’s perfectly fine to say you’d like to touch base at another time, or to refer someone you know and end the contact there. If you are interested in pursuing further, let the recruiter know that too and schedule the next call at a time when you can both spend more time.
Relationship building calls. Many recruiters have a specialty or two, honed over time in their career. They are experts at finding top talent in one or more industries or role types, for instance they specialize in finding medical professionals who are open to contract work. These recruiters are often highly compensated for their ability to build relationships with those potential candidates within their area of specialty. They may reach out to start the relationship without a particular job in mind right now. Although they will keep in touch and understand your career goals and expectations over time and when an ideal role comes to them, they will know to call you right away. By then you’ll have a strong rapport and know that it’s worth listening to their presentation.
Recruiters who are trying to build new business will search for job openings at companies and then search for candidates that might be a fit. They generally have not had an alignment meeting with the hiring company to understand the parameters of the role, the culture of the organization or the interview process. Nor do they know how long a role has been open or if there are other candidates in final stages of interviewing. They are hoping to convince you to let them submit you to a client (often unnamed) and then they send your resume over to the client (without your name or contact information) in the hope that the recipient will reach out and ask for more information. At that time they will work to get an appointment with the decision maker and the person who approves contacts so that they can get an opportunity to get paid. This process, if it works, can take weeks or months to come to fruition. In the meantime, you may never hear from the recruiter because they don’t have the ability to get paid if they submit you and you get hired.
Now that you understand why the recruiter called, what do you do?
You applied to the job and you’re interested in moving forward:
Schedule time for a screening call with the recruiter. Do some homework before that screening call by researching the company, re-reading the job description and aligning some talking points as to how your experience demonstrates your ability to do the job. As you end the call, ask what the next steps are in the process and if hasn’t been discussed, clearly express your expectations for compensation. You can do that by giving a range (I’ll talk about salary negotiations in a future article and podcast).
You didn’t apply to the job and you’re not interested in moving forward:
Let the recruiter know that while you’re pleased to be considered now is not the time for you to consider a change. Agree to keep in touch for future opportunities.
You didn’t apply to the job and you are interested in moving forward:
Schedule time for a screening call with the recruiter and ask that they send you the job description. Do research prior to the call to understand the company and the role and what seems to be the focus moving forward. Create a resume that reflects your applicable experience and demonstrates the results you bring to your current role. Feel free to end this preliminary call by asking if there is a pay range they are targeting, if the role is in-house, hybrid or remote and the expectations for next steps.
You know there is no specific job but you are interested in building your network":
Spend about 15 minutes on the call with the recruiter, asking questions about the companies they tend to work with and the roles they typically fill. Share with them any things that would pique your interest in a new role, from pay to location to equity. Follow up from time to time with quick notes on LinkedIn or sharing articles or updates that you think would be beneficial.
You know there is no job and that the recruiter doesn’t have a legitimate opening to submit.
Spend a few minutes deciphering the reality of the role and then politely let them know you’re not open to roles on spec at this time. Ask them to keep in touch for future opportunities when they are working directly with the client (if you want to).
That’s all there is to it - Now you know what to do when a recruiter calls.
Keep your chin up and keep going forward. Have questions? Let me know.
Please share this article with your job hunting friends!