If you’re applying for jobs, there’s a good chance that you’ll get recruiters reaching out to to schedule a screening interview (in some cases, even an automated phone screening).
But what happens if you’re in a meeting at your current job, or otherwise away from your phone, and find that you have a missed call from a recruiter? Is it ok to miss the call? And if so, how should you respond and what should you say?
This article is going to unpack all of the above questions and more about what to do when you have a missed call from a recruiter.
All of the advice and answers below are sourced from various career experts that offered their point of views for this article.
Let’s dive in.
Why Did a Recruiter Call Me?
Recruiters will often source candidates for open job requisitions. Sourcing a candidate involves making a cold call to an individual whose resume is available online via a job search platform like Indeed or a professional networking platform such as LinkedIn. This is especially true if a recruiter has a difficult to fill position, or a position which requires a unique skill set. An individual who is identified on LinkedIn, may or may not be actively seeking new opportunities, but a recruiter with a position that is difficult to fill, may attempt to lure a candidate to a new company or opportunity.
If you applied for a position, recruiters will call to do an initial phone screen or interview or set up an interview for a later date.
The above content was provided by Leora Opstelten, Career Counseling by Leora.
Is It Ok to Miss a Call From a Recruiter?
Of course it is ok to miss a call from a recruiter, we aren’t always by our phones. However, if you have a scheduled call with a recruiter, I would treat this as you would any other business meeting by being respectful of someone’s time and rescheduling if you have a conflict. If a recruiter calls you unexpectedly, you can simply call them back when you have a spare moment.
The above content was provided by Melissa Trager, Founder, ResumeAllDay.
What to Do if You Miss a Call From a Recruiter?
If you miss a call from a recruiter, promptly return the call or follow up with an email. Express your appreciation for their outreach, apologize for missing the call, and inquire about the details of the opportunity they wanted to discuss.
The above content was provided by Nikita Sherbina, Head of HR, AIScreen.
What to Say When Returning a Missed Call From a Recruiter?
When calling the recruiter back, be sure to share your first and last name. It seems simple enough, but many times they will have made many calls and will be looking you up in their database to pull up your information. Any additional context that you can share back with them is also helpful.
For example, you can say, “Hi, this is Lisa Barrow, I received a message from you yesterday about a Marketing Manager position and I wanted to reconnect.”
This isn’t a formal interview, but be prepared to share your background and strengths. It is also a great time to ask questions and learn more about what the recruiter is connecting about. Recruiters are friendly and excited to hear from you, so you should be in for an interesting conversation.
The above content was provided by Lisa Barrow, CEO, Kada Recruiting.
Conclusion
Missing a call from a recruiter happens all of the time and is no big deal. The key is just to respond promptly and professionally to re-connect with the recruiter and take the next steps in the interview process.