How to Handle a Recruiter Call

A recruiter call is a screening conversation, not a technical interview, and that distinction matters for how you prepare. The recruiter is spending ten to twenty minutes working out whether to invest more time on you, so what they're assessing is basic fit, communication, and whether you seem like a credible candidate for the role. Getting that right is less about impressive answers and more about being clear and prepared.

What a Recruiter Call Actually Is

Most recruiter calls last between ten and thirty minutes, and they follow a fairly predictable pattern. The recruiter will run through your background at a high level, check whether your motivations align with what the role offers, confirm practical details like notice period and salary expectations, and decide whether to move you forward. There's no technical testing, no in-depth case study: it's a filter, and a relatively friendly one.

Understanding that it's a filter changes how you think about preparation. You're not trying to say everything impressive about yourself. You're trying to come across as someone worth spending more time on.

Questions You'll Almost Certainly Be Asked

The questions that come up on nearly every recruiter call are variations on the same few themes. "Tell me about your background" is almost always the opener, and it's your chance to give a clean, two-minute summary of where you've been and what you've done, ending with why you're looking now. "Why are you looking to move?" tests whether your reasons are positive and forward-looking rather than purely a reaction to something going wrong. "What are you looking for?" lets the recruiter check whether what they're filling matches what you want. And then there's the notice period and salary question, which we'll come to separately.

How to Prepare

You don't need to prepare for hours, but a few things are worth doing. Read your own CV carefully before the call, because it's surprisingly easy to fumble dates or descriptions when you haven't looked at it recently. Have a rough two-minute summary of your background ready: where you started, what you've built on, and what you're looking for next. Know your notice period precisely, because being vague about it suggests you haven't thought seriously about actually leaving. And know the salary range you're targeting, with a number in mind rather than a shrug.

If you know the company in advance, a few minutes reading the job description and the company's about page is enough. You don't need to know it inside out at this stage.

The Salary Question

This is the question people find most uncomfortable, and the discomfort usually pushes them in one of two directions: saying something deliberately low to seem agreeable, or pitching high to seem confident. Neither works especially well. A low number anchors the conversation in the wrong place, and a high number without market evidence can end the conversation early.

The more reliable approach is to give a range based on what you've seen for similar roles, framed straightforwardly: "Based on similar roles I've been looking at, I'm targeting somewhere in the £X to £Y range, though it depends on the full package." That's honest, it's grounded, and it leaves room for a proper conversation later in the process.

Questions Worth Asking the Recruiter

Asking a couple of good questions at the end of a recruiter call signals that you're organised and genuinely interested, which matters more than it might seem. Useful things to ask: what does the process look like from here, what does the hiring manager care most about in this role, and what's the expected timeline. If you're speaking to an agency recruiter, it's also reasonable to ask whether they're working on this role exclusively or whether the company is also working with other agencies.

Agency Recruiters vs Internal Recruiters

The dynamic is slightly different depending on who you're speaking to. An agency recruiter is paid a fee when you're placed, so there's a commercial incentive to move quickly and fill the role. That doesn't mean they're not on your side, but it does mean they may be more likely to push you toward committing before you've had time to think properly. An internal recruiter represents the company and has more stake in finding someone who'll actually stay and succeed in the role, so the conversation tends to be a bit more measured.

Neither type is better or worse. Just be aware of the context so you can calibrate how much urgency you take at face value.

Red Flags to Notice

Most recruiter calls are straightforward, but a few things are worth noting. Vague job descriptions with no clear scope or reporting line, pressure to commit to moving forward before you've had time to consider, and reluctance to name either the company or the salary band are all signs that something may be off. You can ask directly about any of them: "Can you tell me more about the team structure?" or "What's the advertised salary range for this role?" are entirely reasonable questions.

What to Do After the Call

Before the call ends, ask explicitly what happens next and when you'll hear back. A vague "we'll be in touch" is harder to act on than "we'll be back to you by Wednesday." If the stated timeframe passes without word, a brief follow-up is appropriate. Keep a note of who you spoke to, what the role was, and what was said about next steps. That kind of detail gets surprisingly hard to track once you're in multiple processes at the same time.