Recruitment Agency Cold Calling Script for New Clients

A recruitment agency cold calling script works best with one goal: a meeting with the person who hires, built around a role they need to fill. Ask for the hiring manager for the roles you place, mention a job they've posted, ask how it's going and offer to help. If nothing is open, learn when they usually hire and call back before then. This script is for business development (winning client companies), not for calling candidates. Below you'll find the full script, answers to the five objections recruiters hear most, and gatekeeper and voicemail lines.

Start With a Role, Not a Pitch

Every agency says it has great candidates, so hiring managers stop listening to that line. What gets their attention is a role they need to fill right now.

Before each call, look for a reason to call:

• A job they've posted, especially one reposted or open for weeks
• A new site, shift or contract win in the news
• A new head of HR or talent acquisition
• Funding, an acquisition or a new location

That's why this recruitment agency cold calling script opens with that reason. A call that ends with a live role or a date to call back is a good call, even without a meeting.

Who to Ask For

At large employers, HR or a vendor program often decides which agencies are used. Ask whoever answers: "Who decides which recruitment agencies you work with?" Write the name down.

The Recruitment Agency Cold Calling Script

Fill in the parts in brackets of this recruitment agency cold calling script, and say it in your own words.

Opener: "Hi [name], this is [your name] from [agency]. I'll be quick: I know I'm calling out of the blue."

Reason for the call: "I saw you're hiring a [job title]. We place [type of role] with [industry] companies in [area], so I wanted to ask how that search is going."

The one question: "Have you found the right person yet, or is it still open?"

Then, depending on the answer:

• Still open: "What's been the hardest part, the number of applicants or their quality? We have [type of candidate] looking now. Would a 15-minute call with [recruiter's name] to go through the role be useful?"
• Filled: "Good news. Which roles are usually hardest for you to fill? I'd like to call you before the next one opens."
• Not their role: "No problem. Who's hiring for that team? I'll give them a call."

Follow-up questions, if they're talking:

• "How many people will you need over the next few months?"
• "How do you fill roles today: your own team, agencies or both?"
• "Is there a busy season coming, or a new site opening?"

The ask: "[Recruiter's name] can do 15 minutes on [day] at [time] or [day] at [time]. Which works better?"

Close-out: "Great. I'll send the invite to [email]. If you can share the job description before the call, [recruiter's name] will come ready with candidates in mind."

Answers to the 5 Objections You'll Hear Most

Agree, give one short reply, then ask a question. If they say no twice, thank them and move on.

1. "We're not hiring right now."

"Understood. When do you usually start hiring again, and which roles are hardest to fill when you do? I'll call you before then."

2. "We already work with agencies."

"Most companies do. Which roles do your current agencies find hardest to fill? We'd be happy to help with just those."

3. "Just send me your terms."

"Happy to. Fees depend on the role, the number of hires and the location, so it's quickest to go through it in 15 minutes. Is [day] or [day] better?"

4. "Everything goes through HR, or our vendor program."

"That makes sense. Who runs it, and how do agencies get added? I'll get in touch with them directly."

5. "We recruit in-house."

"Plenty of companies do, and do it well. Is there one role that's been open longer than you'd like? That's usually where an agency helps."

Gatekeeper Lines

• "Hi, who's hiring for the [team] at the moment?"
• "Could you put me through to [name]?"
• If asked what it's about: "It's about the [job title] role you posted. Is [name] the right person?"

Voicemail Script

"Hi [name], [your name] from [agency]. I saw the [job title] role and we place [type of role] in [area]. If you'd like help filling it, call me on [number]. That's [number] again. Thanks."

Follow-Up Email

Send it the same day, short enough to read on a phone:

Subject: [Job title] role

Hi [name], thanks for your time today. As mentioned, we place [type of role] with [industry] companies in [area]. [Recruiter's name] can go through the [job title] role with you on [day] at [time]. Does that work?

[Your name]

Calling Rules for Recruiters

Before you use this recruitment agency cold calling script, check the rules where you're calling. Calls to businesses face lighter rules than calls to consumers in most countries, but a few things still matter:

• UK: the ICO's business-to-business guidance treats sole traders and some partnerships like individuals, so check business lists against both the TPS and the CTPS. See cold calling laws in the UK.
• US: the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule exempts most business-to-business calls, and business numbers are outside the Do Not Call Registry. A hiring manager's personal mobile may still be on it. Some states also set calling hours for business calls. See cold calling laws in the US.
• Elsewhere: compare every market in cold calling laws by country.

Need Someone to Make the Calls?

A recruitment agency cold calling script only works if someone makes the calls every day, and recruiters are busiest filling the roles they already have. Business development calls are the first thing to slip. Our staffing agency lead generation service gives you a dedicated caller who phones hiring managers and books meetings with your recruiters. Two ways to work with us:

• We Call for You (from $2,199/month per caller): we supply, train and manage the caller, write the script with you, and send call recordings and a weekly report.
• Hire a Caller (from $1,499/month per caller): a vetted, full-time caller works your list during your prospects' business hours and reports to you.

Both services have no setup fee, run month to month and start in about two weeks. See prices by caller country. For more general openers, see our B2B cold calling script template.