If you’re someone who doesn’t take every call you get, then odds are that you will end up missing a recruiter when they call you. It’s not a big deal. Don’t think that it will sink you chances of getting a job.
The way you react to missing a call from a recruiter is more important than missing the call in the first place.
Here’s the thing, everyone is busy. Recruiters are especially busy. It’s understandable that you might miss the call. Recruiters don’t mind as long as you follow up.
Wait, Why Did You Miss the Call?
You might miss a call from a recruiter for a lot of reasons. First off, if you haven’t already been in an extensive back and forth with the recruiter and if you haven’t logged their number in your phone, then you might ignore it.
A lot of people have their phones set to automatically scan for and stop incoming calls from unknown numbers.
If you’re recruiter is local, then it might come through because they will be using a local area code. However, you might miss a foreign number (which could be a good thing in the case of Indian recruiters who call with fake jobs) but you don’t want to miss a local recruiter with a real job.
Another reason you might miss a call from a recruiter is that you’re simply busy. Maybe you are on another call, maybe you are working. Either way, there are a lot of reasons to miss a call from a recruiter and it’s not something that is very unusual.
What Will Happen if You Miss the Call?
If you miss the recruiters call a few things might happen. It depends on the type of assignment or role that the recruiter is working on.
If the recruiter is working on an immediate opening, which might be a permanent role or more likely a temporary role, then they might contact someone else on a list to interview or take the job.
If the recruiter is headhunting you, if they are specifically looking to get you on the phone then they will reach out and try and contact you again by email or text.
Does It Look Bad to Miss a Call from a Recruiter?
That depends on if the call is scheduled or not. If the recruiter is simply calling you out of the blue or without prompting, then it doesn’t look bad. However, if the recruiter is calling you at a set time that you have both agreed upon ahead of time, then yes it looks bad.
If you have a meeting with a recruiter at a certain time to have a phone call, then make sure that you don’t miss that call. This would be a huge issue and if you miss a pre-set scheduled call with a recruiter than it’s a big red flag. There is very little chance that you’ll recover from that. It does look bad to miss an appointment.
But if you just miss a call from a recruiter that you have never worked with before, then it’s not a big deal.
Even if you have been working with a recruiter and have a relationship with them, if they call you unexpectedly and it’s not prearranged, then it’s not a problem to miss their call.
Should You Call The Recruiter Back?
Yes, if you missed a call from the recruiter that was scheduled, then immediately call them back.
If you missed a call from a recruiter that you’re working with, but they haven’t setup a time to speak prior to calling you, then you should return their call as soon as possible. But there is not problem with missing the call from an etiquette perspective.
Unless the call is scheduled then there is no expectation that you should be able to answer the call.
There is the expectation that you will be call the recruiter back, however.
Recruiters make their money by placing people in jobs. They don’t make money if they place people who are unreliable and who end up leaving the job or failing to show up. So, being responsive is a big part of impressing a recruiter and making sure that they will contact you for work.
It’s in your interst to follow up for a few reasons.
- The recrutier might have a job opening for you
- The recrutier might be following up about an interview you went on
- While a recrutier might schedule a rejection call, they also might havre good news
What If You Don’t Want The Job?
Now, if you have no idea who the recruiter is and if you’ve never connected with them before on either LinkedIn or via email, then you don’t have to call them back unless you are interested about the job.
However, bear in mind that if you don’t respond to them, they will never contact you again
If you are looking to get any sort of professional job in a corporate setting, be it an entry level admin job or a more senior role, be mindful that recruiters remember responsive people.
If you are not interested in that role, but want to make sure that they contact you in the future, then what I suggest is to either text them a polite note that mentions you are not currently looking for work but please to keep you in mind for future roles.
Simply not responding to a recruiter is a surefire way to make sure that they won’t work with you.
People who work in blue color work such as nurses or case managers in social service roles don’t have to follow normal etiquette, however the rules for the professional world are much different.
What Do Say If You Missed The Call?
It’s not a big deal if you miss the call and it’s not scheduled. Just call the recruiter back. If you reach them immediately, then say you’re returning their call.
If you don’t get the message for some time, it helps to email or text the recruiter that you missed their call as well as calling them.
The important thing to remember is that you don’t want to wait too long to contact a recruiter back.
This is an industry in which time is money. While that’s a saying in many industries, it’s very applicable for recruiting firms and recruiters.
The average recruiter has no patience or ability to wait around for people who don’t check emails, answer their phone, or return calls.
So make it a point to make sure to reach out as soon as possible, especially if you are working with the recruiter and they are actively working with you on a particular role.
Here’s my quick summary on missing recruiter calls:
- Missing a Call From a Recruiter Your Working With
-Call them back ASAP. If you can’t reach them on the phone, text them or message on LinkedIn.
- Missing a Call From a Recruiter You Don’t Know
-Call them back at your convenience if you are interested. If you are not interested, text them or message them on LinkedIn and let them know to keep you in mind
Hey I’m Chris . 20+ years in the industry. I’ve worked every role from Executive recrutier to Agency founder and consultant. If you want to learn more or reach me,vist the about page or use my contact form.