Recruiters: The Art of Asking the Right Questions

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Imagine this: You walk into a doctor’s office and tell them you have a headache. Instead of asking follow-up questions, they scribble a random prescription and send you on your way. Sounds insane, right? A good doctor will ask where the pain is, how long you’ve had it, whether you’ve experienced other symptoms, and a dozen more questions before even considering a treatment plan.

Yet, as recruiters, we do this all the time.

We take candidates and clients at face value, failing to dig deeper. We assume what they tell us is the full story. And then we wonder why a “perfect candidate” backs out of an interview last minute or why a “hot client” suddenly ghosts us.

Recruiting isn’t about filling jobs—it’s about diagnosing problems. And like any good doctor, you diagnose by asking the right questions.

The More You Know, The Better You Rank

Recruiting is a game of prioritization. The better your information, the better you can rank candidates and clients, focusing your time where it matters most.

• A client who urgently needs to hire and has a solid process? High priority.

• A candidate actively interviewing, open to new opportunities, and motivated by real pain points? High priority.

• A client who says, “We’re always open to great talent” with no urgency or clear process? Low priority.

• A candidate who is just “seeing what’s out there” but has no real intent to move? Low priority.

The difference between spinning your wheels and closing deals is how well you probe for this information upfront.

A Good Client Intake Call

A strong client intake call is structured, probing, and designed to uncover whether this client is worth your time.

Example:

Recruiter: “Tell me about the role you’re hiring for.”

Client: “We need a Senior Backend Engineer.”

Recruiter: “Got it. What’s prompting this hire? Is it backfilling someone, or are you growing the team?”

Client: “It’s a new role—we’re scaling.”

Recruiter: “Great. What’s the timeline for hiring? Have you already started interviewing?”

Client: “We need someone yesterday, but we’re still in the early stages.”

Recruiter: “Who else is involved in the hiring process? What does the interview process look like?”

Client: “Our CTO and Engineering Manager will be involved. We do a three-step process: phone screen, technical interview, and final cultural fit round.”

Recruiter: “What’s the budget for this role?”

Client: “Ideally, we’re looking in the $140-160K range.”

Recruiter: “And what happens if you don’t find the right person in the next month?”

Client: “We’ll be in trouble—we need this person ASAP.”

At this point, you know they have urgency, a clear hiring process, and a budget. This client is a priority.

A Bad Candidate Intake Call

A weak candidate intake call is vague and surface-level.

Example:

Recruiter: “What are you looking for in your next role?”

Candidate: “Something better than what I have now.”

Recruiter: “What salary range are you targeting?”

Candidate: “I don’t know, depends on the job.”

Recruiter: “Would you relocate?”

Candidate: “Maybe.”

This recruiter has learned nothing actionable. They don’t know the candidate’s motivations, pain points, or priorities. When the time comes to push them into an opportunity, the recruiter will be blindsided when they suddenly change their mind.

Better Questions for Candidates

A great candidate intake call is about digging deep. Here are some questions that separate the good recruiters from the great ones:

• “What’s prompting you to look for a new job?” (Get to their pain points.)

• “What’s missing in your current role that you want to find in your next one?”

• “What’s your ideal timeline for making a move?”

• “What’s your biggest hesitation about leaving your current job?”

• “What other roles are you considering right now?”

• “Walk me through your job search process—where are you in the process with other companies?”

These questions uncover intent, urgency, and potential roadblocks before they become problems.

Better Questions for Clients

Clients can be just as flakey as candidates. Here’s how to separate serious ones from time-wasters:

• “What’s driving this hire? What happens if you don’t fill the role?”

• “What’s your hiring timeline, and where are you in the process?”

• “Who has the final say on hiring, and what are they looking for?”

• “Have you made similar hires before? How did that process go?”

• “What’s the salary range, and is it flexible for the right person?”

• “Are you open to adjusting the job description based on market feedback?”

Summary: Ask More, Assume Less

Most recruiters waste time because they don’t ask enough questions upfront. They assume candidates and clients are serious when they aren’t. They trust what they’re told without verifying.

Don’t be that recruiter.

Be the recruiter who diagnoses before prescribing. The recruiter who digs deep, ranks effectively, and focuses on real opportunities.

Your placements—and your commissions—will thank you for it.

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