Employers Screen Phone Calls Too

We’ve already written how you need to be more assertive in your job search to get real results.  Sometimes being assertive requires you to sift through the garbage that is thrown at you and beat the system. The follow up can be just as big of a hassle as application process. One of the easiest ways to follow up is to call the recruiter.  Phone calls work; but it isn’t easy.

Getting in touch with the recruiter isn’t always as easy as just calling and making contact. Recruiters are trying to make their lives easier and one way it to avoid answering their phone.

For example:

When I was calling on a position that I wanted really badly I couldn’t get through, I followed some advice that said don’t leave messages and kept calling hoping to get a real life human resources person on the phone.  Trouble was I called at all hours of the day multiple times of the day, on the hour etc.

I changed my strategy and finally got through. My new tactic was to call from a blocked number which shows up simply as caller unknown for Caller ID.  This new strategy was key because when I called from a blocked number it only rang twice and I was suddenly talking to human resource lady that has been seemingly “too busy” to answer her phone.  This was not a coincidence, for a person to go from never available to picking up the phone clearly worked.

Check your phone before you call a recruiter.

I was informed that the reason she hasn’t been answering her phone is because the company has had an overwhelming amount of applicants she said it was hundreds.   Clearly she did answer the phone though, if she felt it was from someone important, or at least likely not someone she wanted to avoid.

My take on the situation is that the recruiter was avoiding the follow up with applicants. I made my way through by giving the recruiter a reason to answer the phone. Since the phone number was unlisted the recruiter didn’t have reason to assume I was an applicant.  The reason that this blocked number strategy also works is because many corporate outgoing lines are blocked working in a business to business environment you have to pick up the phone to get work done.

If you can’t get in touch with your contact, try blocking your outbound caller information or caller ID.