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Missed a recruiter’s call? Here’s what to say back

Listen to the voicemail, then reply with your name, the role and a time you can talk. Copy a call-back, a voicemail and an email.

Ghosted editorialPublished 12 min read

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They left a voicemail

Call back, leave a message if they don’t pick up, then write

Listen to the whole message before you do anything. It tells you who called, which role it’s about and often when they’re free. Then work down these three. Replace everything in square brackets.

  1. Call back

    From somewhere quiet, with the posting open in front of you.

    When they pick up

    Hi [Name], it’s [Your name]. I’m returning your call about the [Role] role. Is now still a good time?

  2. They don’t pick up

    Leave a message with a time you can talk and its time zone, so the next call lands.

    The voicemail you leave

    Hi [Name], it’s [Your name] returning your call about the [Role] role. I’m free [day] between [start time] and [end time] [time zone]. Thanks, speak soon.

  3. Then write

    If they gave an email address or you have one from earlier, put the same time in writing.

    SubjectReturning your call | [Role] | [Your name]

    Hi [Name],

    Sorry I missed your call earlier. I’ve left you a voicemail, and I’d be glad to talk about the [Role] role. I’m free [day] between [start time] and [end time] [time zone]. If that doesn’t suit, let me know a time that does. My number is [phone number].

    Thanks, [Your name]

Filled in, the voicemail Alex leaves for Jo reads like this:

Example: the voicemail you leave

Hi Jo, it’s Alex returning your call about the support role. I’m free today between two and four Eastern.

Made-up details

Two sentences, and they answer the three questions Jo has when the message plays: who is this, which role, and when can I reach them. Jo already has the number, because Jo dialled it. If you’re calling from a different phone, say the number slowly at the end.

They emailed too

Reply in their thread with a time and its zone

Recruiters often follow a missed call with an email. If one has arrived, answer it rather than starting a new one, so the call, the role and your reply stay together.

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for your call and your email. I’d be glad to talk about the [Role] role. I’m free [day] between [start time] and [end time] [time zone], or [day] after [time] [time zone]. Which suits you better?

Thanks, [Your name]

Filled in:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi Jo,

Thanks for your call and your email. I’d be glad to talk about the support role. I’m free today between two and four Eastern, or tomorrow after ten Eastern. Which suits you better?

Thanks, Alex

Made-up details

Two windows, not one. If the first is gone by the time Jo reads it, the second still works, and nobody has to write again just to find a time. If they sent a booking link instead, use it, and reply with a line saying you’ve booked.

Every reply says three things

Who you are
Alex Reed
Which role
Support Engineer, Northline
When you can talk
Today, 2 to 4 pm Eastern

No message left

A missed call with no voicemail

An unknown number and no message is the hardest one. Don’t call back blind and ask “who is this?”. Spend a few minutes finding out who it might be, so the call or email you send names a person and a role.

  1. Your inbox, spam included. A recruiter who couldn’t reach you often writes straight after. Search for anything that arrived in the last hour or so.Start here
  2. Your recent applications. Which companies have your number? Check the city or country the call came from against the jobs you applied for.Best clue
  3. Messages on job sites. LinkedIn and job boards have their own inboxes. A message asking for a call often sits there unread.Look here
  4. The number itself. Search it, in quotes. A company switchboard or a recruitment agency usually shows up; a blank result tells you something too.A clue

If one of those names a person, write to them. You’re not certain the call was theirs, so say so plainly and give them a time:

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

I had a missed call from [Company] today and wondered if it was about my application for the [Role] role. I’m free [day] between [start time] and [end time] [time zone] if you’d like to talk.

Thanks, [Your name]

If nothing turns up, wait. Someone with a real role to discuss has every reason to leave a message or write, and a call that matters will come back. To find a company’s number, use the one on its own website rather than the one that called you.

A text is fine too

If the number is a mobile and you can’t call yet, a short text with your name, the role you think it’s about and a time to talk does the same job as the email.

Start here

What your reply has to do

A recruiter may call a dozen people in an afternoon, often for more than one role. When your call or message reaches them, they need to place you at once and know when to try again. That’s three things, and only three.

  1. Say who you are

    Your first and last name, early. “It’s Alex” is fine for a recruiter you’ve met; for a first call, “Alex Reed” saves them searching.

  2. Say which role

    The role as they named it, or the company if that’s all you know. “About the support role” tells them which list you’re on.

  3. Give a time and its zone

    A window you can keep, with the zone: “between two and four Eastern”. “Call me any time” sounds helpful and usually means another missed call.

You don’t need to explain why you missed it. People miss calls at work, on the train, in the shower. A recruiter calls back people who answer clearly, not people who apologise well.

Timing

Take a breath, then call back

Writing for The Muse, a former recruiter suggests taking a five-minute breather before you return the call. A candidate who calls back panicked can make a simple conversation harder than it needs to be. The same piece says phone tag happens all the time, and most reasonable recruiters understand it.

Made-up examples: where you are, and what to send
  • Where you are: Free, somewhere quiet

    What to do: Call back now, with the posting open

  • Where you are: At work and can’t talk

    What to do: Email or text a time later today, with its zone

  • Where you are: It’s evening where they are

    What to do: Email now, and call during their working hours

  • Where you are: In a different time zone

    What to do: Give the time in their zone, and yours in brackets

  • Where you are: About to go into something long

    What to do: Email a time, rather than calling with five minutes to spare

The aim is one good call, not a fast one. A reply within the same working day, with a time you can keep, beats ringing back from a noisy platform and asking them to repeat everything.

Don’t wait by the phone

Once you’ve left your message, carry on. The same Muse piece makes the point: until there’s an offer, keep looking, so one quiet afternoon doesn’t stall the rest of your search.

On the call

What to have in front of you when you call back

A returned call can turn into a short screening call without warning. Five minutes of setting up means you can say yes to “Have you got ten minutes now?”

The posting

Open, with the role’s title and the company’s name. If you applied a while ago, skim it before you dial.

The CV you sent

Not your latest version, the one they have. If you’re not sure which that is, find the CV you sent first.

Your diary

So you can offer interview times on the spot, with their time zone in mind.

A rough salary answer

Screening calls often ask. Know what you’ll say, or how you’ll ask for their range: replying to salary expectations has the wording.

Something to write on

Their name, the next step, and any date they mention. You won’t remember it all an hour later.

It might be good news

Some missed calls are an offer. If the message says they’d like to talk about next steps after a final interview, have what to ask when an offer comes by phone ready.

Other situations

Four more replies you can copy

Each one gives a name, a role and a time. Use them as replies in a thread you already have, or as a new email with the role in the subject.

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for calling about the [Role] role. I can’t take calls during working hours, but I’m free before [time] or after [time] [time zone] on weekdays, and email reaches me any time.

Thanks, [Your name]

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Sorry I missed your call about the [Role] role. I’m based in [city], so I’m free from [time] to [time] your time ([time] to [time] mine) on [day]. Would that work?

Thanks, [Your name]

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

It looks like we keep missing each other. Could we book a time? I can do [day] at [time] or [day] at [time] [time zone], and I’ll make sure I’m somewhere I can pick up.

Thanks, [Your name]

SubjectRe: their thread

Hi [Name],

Thanks for your voicemail. I’d be glad to talk. Could you tell me which role it’s about, and send the job description if there is one? I’m free [day] between [start time] and [end time] [time zone].

Thanks, [Your name]

What goes wrong

The mistakes that turn one missed call into three

Calling back before listening

The voicemail may say “email me, I’m in meetings all day”, or name a different person to call. Listen first.

“Call me any time”

It sounds flexible. It means they guess, and the guess is often a time you’re on the train. Give a window.

A time with no zone

Recruiters often work across regions. “Two to four” on its own is a coin toss.

A long apology

One “sorry I missed you” is plenty, and none is fine. Spend the words on when you’re free.

Ringing repeatedly

Three missed calls from you in ten minutes looks anxious. Call once, leave a message, write once.

Calling back somewhere noisy

A call that turns into a screening needs quiet. If you can’t find it, send a time instead.

Check your own greeting

If your voicemail plays the network’s default message, a recruiter can’t tell they’ve reached the right person. Record one with your name in it, and check your mailbox isn’t full.

Last look

A checklist before you call or write

Once you’ve spoken

Write down what was said, then confirm it

Straight after the call, note who you spoke to, the role, what happens next and any date they gave. If they arranged an interview, wait for the invite and check it against your notes; replying to an interview invitation covers what to confirm. If they said they’d send something by a certain day, write that down too, so you know when it’s fair to ask.

And if you’re still playing phone tag after two rounds, stop calling and suggest a booked time by email. It’s not a bad sign. It’s two busy diaries, and a fixed slot fixes it.

Questions

Questions people ask about missing a recruiter’s call

Should I call back or email?

Do what they asked for in the message. If they asked you to call, call. If they didn’t say, call once, leave a voicemail if they don’t answer, and follow up by email if you have an address.

How quickly should I call back?

There’s no fixed rule. Aim for the same working day, at a time you can talk properly. A calm call an hour later beats a rushed one from a noisy street.

Does missing the call hurt my chances?

Not on its own. Recruiters miss people all the time. What they notice is the reply: whether it’s clear who you are, which role it is and when to try again.

What if there was no voicemail?

Check your inbox, your job site messages and your recent applications for a likely match. If you find a name, write to them with a time. If you can’t place the call, wait for a message rather than calling an unknown number back.

Is it fine to text a recruiter back?

If they called from a mobile and you can’t call yet, a short text with your name, the role and a time works. For anything longer, use email.

Should I apologise for missing the call?

A quick “sorry I missed you” is fine, and you can leave it out. Missing a call isn’t a mistake that needs explaining.

What if I miss their call back too?

Stop trading calls. Email two times you’ll definitely be free, with the time zone, or ask whether they have a booking link.

Keep the call next to the job.

Note who called, about which role, and when you said you’d talk.

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