A staffing agency's cold call should reach the person who feels the hiring problem, usually an operations manager, plant manager or HR manager, and open with one fact about a job they have posted: "I saw your line operator opening has been up since September. How is that going?" Offer a shortlist within 48 hours instead of asking for a contract, and say your fee out loud if they ask. Below is the opener, the job-order questions that follow, honest answers to three objections, the gatekeeper line, a voicemail, and what to record so the second call picks up where the first left off.

Start from a job that is already open

Cold calls to "companies that might hire" get politely ended. Calls about a specific job get answered, because the manager has already tried and is still short. Open the job boards for your county and look for the same title posted by the same company again and again: warehouse pickers, line operators, CNC machinists, drivers, front-desk staff. A company that reposts every few weeks is replacing people who left, or cannot fill the seat. For the list-building side, see how to get clients for a staffing agency. Here we pick up at the phone.

Before you dial, write four facts beside the company name: the job title, how long it has been posted, the pay range if listed, and the manager's name if you can find it. That is a minute of research per call.

The opener

Nia works at a made-up agency called Redwood Staffing. She calls Gus Petrakis, the operations manager at a packaging plant.

Hi Gus, it's Nia at Redwood Staffing. I saw your line operator job on the board, and it looks like it has been open since September. How's that search going? I'm not asking for a contract today. If you're still short, I can send three screened people by Thursday.

It names the job, admits the call is unexpected and makes a specific, small offer. If Gus says "still short," Nia asks about the opening. If he says "we filled it," she says "Great. Does that role turn over a lot, or was this a one-time search?" Either answer tells her something. Never claim to have candidates you do not have. If you can send three, say so, and mean it by Thursday.

The job-order questions

A job order is the agency's record of what the client wants. Fill it in out loud, on the phone, so the call turns into work:

  1. "How many openings, and what is the shift?"
  2. "What does it pay, and is there overtime?"
  3. "When do you need someone to start?"
  4. "What do they need to have, such as a forklift certificate or experience with a specific machine?"
  5. "What happened with the last two people in this seat? Why did they leave?"

The last one matters most. The answer is either "they quit after a week" (which suggests a pay or schedule problem you can discuss) or "one moved away" (a one-off). It also shows the manager that you care about keeping people, not only placing them.

Say your fee plainly

Employers have dealt with agencies that hide the cost until the paperwork. If you place temporary workers, you pay the worker and bill the client an hourly rate that includes your margin. If you place permanent staff, the fee is usually a percentage of first-year pay, paid when the person starts. Whichever you use, say the structure in the first or second call. If you give a replacement guarantee, say the exact number of days. If Gus asks "what do you charge?", do not dodge:

For temp-to-hire it's an hourly bill rate that covers the worker's pay, payroll taxes and our fee. I'll send you the exact number in writing before anyone starts, so you can compare it to what you pay now. Which of those do you need, someone for a few weeks or someone to hire?

Three objections

"We already use two agencies." "That makes sense. Are they filling every seat? I'd like to be the third one you call when the other two can't. If I can't send people by the date you need, I'll tell you the same day." Agencies fall behind in busy weeks, and an employer with two vendors knows it. Offer to be the overflow, not the replacement. A related reply for any incumbent is in we already have a vendor.

"We hire through Indeed and our own site." "Good, and I'd keep doing that. What I do is pre-screen, so you meet three people who showed up for the interview, not 40 applications. Is the volume of applicants your problem, or is it the quality?" This turns the objection into a question about their actual pain.

"Send me your rates." "Happy to. Rates depend on the job, so tell me the role and the shift and I'll send you the number for that role. What's the role you most need to fill?" A generic rate sheet gets compared to the cheapest agency in town. A number for a specific job starts a conversation.

The gatekeeper and the voicemail

Hi, this is Nia with Redwood Staffing. Who handles hiring for the packaging line? Is that Gus, or someone in HR?

If HR screens the call, ask whether the operations manager is the one who feels the vacancy. The person in the seat decides which agency to try. More on the front-desk step is in how to get past the gatekeeper when cold calling. If you reach voicemail on the second attempt:

Gus, Nia at Redwood Staffing, 555-0159. I saw your line operator job has been open since September, and I can send three screened people by Thursday. No contract. Call or text me if you're still short, and I'll try you again tomorrow morning.

One rule you cannot bend

Staffing agencies can be held responsible for discriminatory hiring requests. If a client asks you to send only people of a certain age, sex or background, say no and explain that you cannot screen that way. Say it before the first placement. It protects you, and a client who respects the line is a better long-term account. This is general information, not legal advice. Calls to a business line are largely exempt from the national Do Not Call rules. Candidates are a different list: calls and texts to their cell phones fall under the federal rules on autodialed and prerecorded messages, which need prior consent, so keep recruiting calls and sales calls on separate lists.

What to record

Write down the job title, the number of openings, the shift, the pay, why the last person left, the fee structure you quoted, and the callback date. A manager who tells you "call me Monday, we post a new batch" has just told you when to call. The wider question of calls versus emails is in cold calling vs cold email.

If the calling is the part you dread, Rocketship's workers can take it on: email each hiring manager first from your own Gmail, follow up, and put the call on your calendar when someone says yes. You can run it on a real list with a 7-day free trial; a card is required to start.