If you’re on the job search, then you will eventually run into a recruiter who wants to talk on the phone. It’s a very common occurrence when dealing with recruiters. The fact is that even if you’ve been dealing with them via Indeed job postings, or LinkedIn messaging, they will want to talk to you on the phone at some point.
But why? What is the reason that a recruiter would want to get you onto the phone and talk to you if everything about the job and the requirements could be handled beforehand in email.
Well, there is a whole lot of nuance that is lost during emails. Recruiters who are working on executive level searches, and even regular white collar roles will want to meet with you in person, on Zoom, or at the minimum have a phone call to determine if you’re a good fit for the placement that they are working on.
What’s Wrong with Emails?
Why won’t recruiters just go ahead and work with people and only communicate using emails? Well, for many reasons. And the primary one is that they want to know what the person sounds like.
There are a lot of people who can communicate just fine using email or LinkedIn messaging, but that won’t suffice when it comes to recruiting that is simply not enough.
The problem with emails is that they are not a whole picture of the person. Many people can be brief with a email and sufficiently professional, and their resume might be attractive and well put together, but they won’t have a professional speaking voice.
In addition to the problem of not speaking properly and not having a professional speaking voice, there are other concerns that recruiters might have. One of the main concerns that a recruiter might have is that the person isn’t stable.
Frantic speech, rude conversation methods, and a lot of other issues that might not come up when sending emails or LinkedIn text messages are the things that recruiters are looking for when they request a call.
Do Recruiters Care What You Sound Like on the Phone?
Yes, recruiters certainly care what you sound like on the phone. That’s the whole reason why recruiters want to talk to you.
There are a lot of people who have resumes written for them online by other people. There’s a whole cottage industry of resume writing services online.
Someone can simply purchase a resume service to write them a resume. These services are common across all industries. It used to be exclusively something that professionals used, but now there are cheap outsourced resume writing services, online templates and cheap freelancers on places like Fiver and also an entire taxpayer funded non-profit sector that writes resumes for people connected with the non-profit world.
Recruiters can’t trust that your resume is a clear representation of you. If you have a great resume, it’s going to attract a recruiter to you. However, that won’t be the end of the process. The recruiter won’t simply send you to one of their clients just because you have an impressive resume.
At a minimum, they will want to get you on a phone call to discuss the role. They want to see how you respond when you’re having a casual conversation.
It’s not uncommon for a recruiter to not even consider sending your resume unless you have a phone call with the. They want to make sure you’re a normal person and not some one with a myriad of issues to deal with.
People can pretend to be normal on email or through messaging, but it’s not something that is easily hidden through a phone call.
What If You Can’t Talk to a Recruiter on the Phone?
So, if you can’t take a recruiters phone call because you’re currently working, then it would be a good idea to reach out to them and let them know that you are currently unavailable but would be happy to schedule a call during a lunch break or even to step out of the office.
Recrutiers will call you at work, and they also understand if you can't immediately talk while working. But you should communicate this with them.
The last thing that you want to do is ignore the recruiter and tell them that you’re too busy to talk on the phone.
If you tell a recruiter that you’re busy and that you can’t speak, then they will mark you as a someone who they will not use for work.
Recruiting firms have databases that they use to keep track of the candidates that they work with. These tracking systems are generally known as ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems.
If you’re someone who can’t make time to speak with a recruiter, then the recruiter will simply mark you as a Do Not Use. This means that ever after you won’t be able to find work through that recruiting agency. It’s not just an issue with a single recruiter, the entire agency won’t want to work with you because you’re not a reliable person.
Tips for Having a Phone Call with a Recruiter
If you are working with a recruiter, then you are going to have to talk to a recruiter on the phone. It is not enough, though, to simply answer their call and briefly chat with them.
A call with a recruiter should be something that you take seriously. It can mean the difference between the recruiter moving forward and submitting your resume and arranging an interview and them deciding that you are not someone who is a professional and is not worth sending to a client.
So, here are some tips for when you are having your phone call with a recruiter:
- Be Police and Treat The Call Like A Professional Interview
- Don’t Rush The Recruiter Through the Call
- Don’t Sound Desperate, but Don’t Be Bored
- Ask Pertinent Questions
- Thank The Recruiter for Their Time
- Answer Their Call---If you don't, odds are they won't call you back.
And most importantyl, be avaiabel when they call you if it's a scheduled call. In the same way that you should always arrive early for a job inteview, you should always be available when a recrutier calls you for a scheduled call.
If you are going to have a Zoom call with the recrutier instead of a phone call, then threre are other types of tips you should follow to impress them during the Zoom call.
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