Questions recruiters actually ask.
Free articles from the IPMERC knowledge base. Each page answers one question a recruiter types into a search bar, in the first three sentences, with the method behind it.
Handling objections.
The WRIOC sequence and the isolation question behind it.
How do I handle an objection as a recruiter?Handle any objection in five steps with WRIOC: Welcome, Re-examine, Isolate, Overcome, Close.How do I find out the real objection behind what a client says?Use the suppose-question to test whether the stated objection is the real one before you solve anything.
Fees and fee models.
The price objection, the NCNP or retained decision, and exclusivity.
How do I respond when a prospect says my recruitment fee is too expensive?Set the value frame before the number comes up: need, pain, cost of inaction, then price.When should a recruitment agency use NCNP and when retained search?NCNP buys speed on fillable roles; retained buys depth and exclusivity on scarce ones. The difference is who carries the risk.How do I ask a client for exclusivity on a role?Ask only after you have shown value, frame it as a trade, and always put an end date on it.
Cold acquisition.
The opener, the triggers that make a call relevant, and the gatekeeper.
How do I open a cold call as a recruiter?The 10-second opener: who you are, why you call, and an open question. Then silence.What triggers make a recruiter's cold call relevant?Four trigger categories that turn a random agency call into a relevant one: hiring, company, person, and market signals.How do I get past the gatekeeper on a cold call?Three ways through: make the gatekeeper an ally, call outside office hours, or switch channels.
Salary conversations.
What a salary objection really says, and who sets the anchor.
When is a candidate's salary objection not really about money?Most salary objections are a proxy for uncertainty, status, or a missing view of the total package. Isolate before you negotiate.How do I discuss salary with a candidate without setting the anchor?Whoever names a number first sets the anchor. Ask for the current package and the desired range in one sentence, and let both come from the candidate.