"I have dealt with a number of recruiters, and I've been inundated with phone calls, emails, and voicemails from recruiters who are seemingly only interested in making a quick fee. My experience overall had not been great, until I spoke to George."
Chelsea Bate

Cold Calling in 2025: Proven Strategies for Recruitment Success
Cold calling remains one of the most effective ways to secure sales appointments and win new business. While digital channels continue to evolve, our latest industry research shows that well-executed telephone outreach delivers 30% higher conversion rates than email alone for initial client engagement.
However, successful cold calling in 2025 requires more than just picking up the phone. You need a strategic approach, careful preparation, and the right mindset to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
1. Smart Targeting: Quality Over Quantity
Gone are the days of spray-and-pray cold calling. Modern recruiters must be surgical in their approach:
- Build detailed client profiles using LinkedIn Sales Navigator and recruitment CRM data
- Focus on companies showing growth signals (new funding, office expansions, recent hires)
- Prioritise sectors with acute talent shortages - our data shows tech and healthcare remain hottest for 2025
- Use intent data tools to identify organisations actively recruiting
Pro tip: Start each day calling your top 5 prospects when your energy is highest. This simple change can boost conversion rates by up to 40%.
2. The 2025 Approach to Call Preparation
Today's decision-makers expect recruiters to bring genuine insight to calls. Before dialling:
- Research the company's recent news and challenges
- Understand the hiring manager's career path (check their LinkedIn)
- Prepare 2-3 relevant candidate success stories
- Anticipate common objections (we see "happy with current supplier" remains top in 2025)
Remember: Your call should feel like a valuable conversation, not a sales pitch. The best recruiters now use conversational intelligence tools to refine their approach based on what resonates.
3. Clear Objectives for Every Call
Without clear goals, calls meander. For each prospect, define:
- Primary objective (e.g., identify hiring timelines)
- Secondary goal (e.g., book discovery meeting)
- Minimum viable outcome (e.g., confirm correct decision-maker)
Our recruitment teams find this structure reduces call time by 25% while improving outcomes.
4. Data-Driven Follow Up
The fortune is in the follow-up:
- Log all calls in your recruitment CRM immediately
- Tag prospects by priority and next steps
- Schedule follow-ups based on hiring cycles (we recommend 6-8 week intervals)
- Track which approaches work best by sector/role type
5. Continuous Improvement
Top billers don't rely on guesswork. They:
- Record and review their best calls (with consent)
- Analyse conversion rates at each stage
- Test different opening lines and value propositions
- Share learnings with their recruitment team weekly
Cold calling remains a powerful tool for recruiters who adapt to modern expectations. By combining these 2025 strategies with your existing relationship-building skills, you'll stand out from competitors still using outdated approaches.
Date published: 26th Feb 2025
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by Rob Scott
Managing Director

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