Getting Past the Gatekeeper in Recruitment: Honest Phone Lines That Work

Every agency consultant knows the moment. You dial the main number, a friendly voice answers, and within ten seconds you hear "And what is it regarding?" Then "Is he expecting your call?" Then "Could you just send an email?" The call ends and you have nothing.

A lot of sales advice treats the receptionist as an obstacle to trick: sound like you know the boss, imply urgency. That may work once. It also burns the company and, depending on what you say, can cross a legal line.

There is a better way. Gatekeepers are not paid to block every caller. They are paid to protect their colleagues' time from calls that waste it. If your call is relevant and you are honest about it, you are not the person they are protecting against.

Who is the gatekeeper?

Usually reception or the switchboard, a PA or executive assistant, or an HR coordinator who takes agency calls for the HR manager. All of them share one goal: getting the call to the right place, or to no place, as quickly as possible.

Why confident and honest beats clever

Gatekeepers hear the same lines every day. "It's a personal matter." "He'll know what it's about." "I'm returning his call." They recognise them instantly, and once they catch you bluffing, every future call from your agency starts from distrust.

They also hear a lot of hesitant callers. "Sorry to bother you, is now a bad time?" "I was just wondering if maybe someone might be able to help?" That sounds like a cold call nobody asked for, and it practically invites a polite no.

What gets through is the combination of the two opposites: confident and honest. You sound like someone with a real reason to speak to a colleague, because you are. That means:

1. Your name and agency, said clearly. No mumbling, no apology.
2. A clear request. Ask to be put through, by name if you have one.
3. A straight answer when they ask why. Usually the vacancy they have advertised.

Smile when you dial, speak up and pronounce names properly.

Word-for-word lines for the most common situations

Adapt these until they sound like you. The point is the attitude and the structure, not the exact wording. Notice what is missing: no "have I caught you at a bad time?", no "do you have a minute?", no pitch about your agency.

The opener when you have a name

"Hi Claire, it's Sam from {agency}. Could you put me through to {full name}, please? I'll hold."

Friendly, direct, done. Most receptionists simply connect a caller who sounds like they know who they need.

The opener when you do not have a name

"Hi, it's Sam from {agency}. I'm calling about the {role} you're hiring for in {city}. Who's responsible for that one, the head of department or HR? Great, could you put me through, please? I'll hold."

You still lead. You ask a specific question and follow it straight away with a request.

"What is it regarding?"

"It's about the {role} you've advertised. Could you put me through to {full name}, please?"

Answer briefly and honestly, then ask again. No dodging, no pitch to the receptionist.

"Is she expecting your call?"

"No, it's a first call about the {role} position. Could you put me through, please? I'll hold."

Saying "no" is the truth, and gatekeepers respect it. Pretending otherwise is exactly what they are trained to spot.

"Can you send an email instead?"

"Happy to as well. Who exactly should it go to, and what's her direct line? Then I can follow up properly."

Treat this as a win, not a brush-off. You now have a name, often a direct number, and a route. Log everything in your CRM before you hang up.

"She's in a meeting" or "He's not available"

"No problem. What's his direct line, and when is he usually back at his desk? I'll call him then."

Then call back exactly when they said. Gatekeepers notice who follows through.

"We don't work with agencies"

"Thanks for telling me, I'll make a note so we don't call about this again. Is that for this role, or does it apply to all hiring?"

Respect it, record it and move on. A company that has said no to agency contact will remember who ignored it. Our article on “no agencies” in job ads goes into this in more detail.

Once you are through: aim for a meeting

Getting connected is only step one. The goal of the call is not to sell your agency on the phone. It is a short meeting with the person who owns the vacancy. Start with the role and a question they can say yes to:

"Hi {first name}, it's Sam from {agency}. I'm calling about the {role} you're hiring for in {city}. That's still open, right?"

Then ask one or two questions about the pain, such as how long they have been looking or when the role needs to be filled, and move to the calendar: "Let's put fifteen minutes in. How does tomorrow look for you?" The full structure, with objections, is in our recruitment cold calling script.

What never to do

These tactics turn up in plenty of sales training. Leave them out.

The rules are moving in the same direction

Honesty is not only good manners. In the US, the FTC amended its Telemarketing Sales Rule in 2024 so that its ban on material misrepresentations also covers business-to-business telemarketing calls. In the UK, the ICO says live marketing callers must say who is calling, show their number and screen business numbers against both the Corporate TPS and the TPS, as well as their own do-not-call list. This is a short summary, not legal advice, so check the current rules for each market you call.

How to make the gatekeeper your ally

The best consultants build a relationship with the people who answer the phone. A few habits help:

• Use their name. Ask for it at the start if they do not give it, and write it down.
• Log everything. Name, direct line, best time to call and anything they told you.
• Be friendly and firm. A clear "Could you put me through, please? I'll hold" works better than a hesitant request for advice.
• Say thank you. It costs nothing and it is rarer than you would think.

Can you avoid the gatekeeper altogether?

Sometimes, through honest routes: direct dials a contact has published or given you, the named contact in the job ad, LinkedIn, or email next to the phone. Most importantly, call the right person in the first place. If you know who owns the vacancy, you have already solved half the problem. Our guide on who to contact in recruitment business development shows how to work that out by company size, and our guide to recruitment objection handling helps once the first objection comes.

Fewer gatekeepers, better calls

The calls that go best start with a company that is hiring right now and a named person who owns the role. LeadFlow delivers exactly that into your CRM every day: companies hiring in your niche, with the right decision maker attached. If you want your CRM set up for calling, with tasks, call logging and follow-up automations, SalesPower does that on Close.

Key takeaways

• Gatekeepers protect their colleagues' time from irrelevant calls. Be relevant and you are not the call they are screening out.
• Be confident and direct: your name, your agency and "Could you put me through, please? I'll hold." No permission-asking openers.
• Answer "what is it regarding?" and "are they expecting you?" briefly and honestly, then ask again to be put through.
• Once you are through, aim for a short meeting, not a sale on the phone.
• Never pretend to be a customer, candidate, friend or returning caller.
• Log the gatekeeper's name, the direct line and the best time, and call back exactly then.
• Honest calls are also the safer side of the rules, such as the FTC's misrepresentation ban for B2B calls and the ICO's caller requirements.

FAQ

How do recruiters get past the gatekeeper?

By being confident and honest. Say your name and agency and ask directly to be put through, for example "Could you put me through to Claire Smith, please? I'll hold." If they ask why, give a short, true answer such as the role they have advertised. Gatekeepers block callers who hesitate or dodge, not those with a clear reason.

What should I say when a receptionist asks what the call is about?

Tell them briefly, then ask again to be put through. For example: "It's about the engineering vacancy you've advertised. Could you put me through to him, please?" Dodging the question makes the call sound like one to screen out, and a long pitch to the receptionist does not help either.

Is it OK to pretend to be a customer to get through?

No. It is deception, it damages your agency's reputation at that company and it can create legal risk. In the US, for example, the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule bans material misrepresentations in business-to-business calls since 2024.

What if the gatekeeper says to send an email?

Agree, then ask exactly who it should go to and for their direct line. You now have a name and a route, so log both in your CRM and call back.

What if they say the company does not work with agencies?

Thank them, ask whether it applies to all hiring or just that role, and record it. Respecting a clear no protects your reputation, and you can put your time into companies that are open to support.