Cold calling is phoning prospects or candidates who are not expecting your call, with no prior relationship. Agency recruiters cold call hiring managers to win business, and sourcers call passive candidates about roles. It is often paired with email and LinkedIn messages in a multichannel sequence.
Cold email and lead gentopic
2 minread
2related terms
In one line
Phoning prospects or candidates who are not expecting your call. Recruiters often pair it with email in a sequence.
A cold call works when you have a short, relevant reason to call and get to it fast. Most good calls open with who you are, why you are calling this person now and one question that invites a conversation. Voicemails should be brief and tied to an email you send right after.
Dialer tools help with volume by loading lists, logging calls and dropping recorded voicemails, but connect rates depend heavily on having accurate direct and mobile numbers.
Rules apply. The FTC says most business to business calls are exempt from its Telemarketing Sales Rule, but calls to consumers and to cell phones carry more restrictions, including consent rules for prerecorded or autodialed calls under FCC rules. State laws vary too. This is not legal advice.
Why it matters to recruiters
A phone call can create trust and urgency that email rarely matches. For agencies, cold calling hiring managers is still one of the fastest ways to uncover open roles. For recruiters, a call to a passive candidate often gets a real answer where messages go ignored.
An example from a recruiting desk
Every morning, an agency recruiter blocks an hour to call 30 operations managers at local manufacturers. She opens with a recent hiring signal at their plant and asks one question about their toughest open role. Five conversations happen, two lead to job orders, and she follows every voicemail with a short email.
Tips that help
Prepare a one line reason for calling each person before you dial.
Block a set time each day for calls so they actually happen.
Follow every voicemail with a short email that references it.
Log outcomes in your CRM so the next touch builds on the last.
Mistakes to avoid
Reading a long script that sounds like a sales pitch in the first ten seconds.
Using autodialers or prerecorded messages on cell phones without checking consent rules.
Which tools help?
A few of the dialers in our directory. Prices are the published starting price on the date we last checked.
Yes, for many desks. Calls reach people who ignore email and can turn a vague interest into a concrete next step. Results depend on data quality, timing and a relevant reason to call.
Is cold calling legal for B2B recruiting?
Most business to business calls are exempt from the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule. Calls to personal cell phones, prerecorded messages and autodialers carry stricter federal and state rules. Check current rules for your situation. This is not legal advice.
What is the best time to cold call?
It varies by role and industry. Many recruiters find early morning and late afternoon reach people before or after meetings. Track your own connect rates by time and day and adjust.
