Recruitment agencies: discovery call
Use this discovery call exercise to understand the problem, its consequences and the buying process before presenting a solution. You are discussing a specialist recruitment assignment with a hiring manager with a hard-to-fill role. The point of the practice is to make a useful decision together, including recognising when the offer is not a fit.
Summarise a verified problem, an unresolved question and a next step the buyer has accepted.
The situation
In this fictional brief, interviewers assess different criteria and suitable candidates disengage. The buyer wants a shared scorecard and a timely, clearly owned hiring process. Your offer is a specialist recruitment assignment, but you must first establish whether its scope addresses the actual need.
A relevant delivery constraint is that compensation and interview availability need approval before outreach. Treat that as a fact in the exercise; do not remove it to make the sale easier.
| Your counterpart | a hiring manager with a hard-to-fill role |
|---|---|
| Offer under discussion | a specialist recruitment assignment |
| Evidence available | an anonymised candidate brief mapped to the agreed role criteria |
| Terms to clarify | Clarify exclusivity, fee triggers, replacement terms and candidate consent. |
How to approach discovery call
A useful question for this stage: “What have you already tried, and what changed as a result?” Ask it when the conversation creates a reason for it, rather than reciting every question in order.
- Start with an actual recent incident. Follow its sequence and ask who was affected. Separate what you heard from your interpretation.
- Ground the discussion in the buyer’s work. Ask: “Which capability must the person demonstrate in the first three months?” Listen for a concrete example before making a claim.
- Use evidence relevant to the decision: an anonymised candidate brief mapped to the agreed role criteria. Explain what it demonstrates and what remains unverified.
- Summarise a verified problem, an unresolved question and a next step the buyer has accepted.
An industry-specific concern
Buyer: “Another recruiter charges a lower percentage.”
Possible response: “Let us compare the search scope, screening evidence and replacement terms before comparing fees alone.”
Why this response helps: it acknowledges the concern, brings the discussion back to a verifiable requirement and leaves room for a different decision. Adapt the wording to what the buyer actually said.
Run the practice
- Prepare for two minutes. One person takes the seller role and one plays a hiring manager with a hard-to-fill role. Read the offer and constraint separately from your preferred answer.
- Have a five-minute conversation focused on understand the problem, its consequences and the buying process before presenting a solution. The buyer should answer consistently with the brief and ask for evidence when a claim is vague.
- Add this challenge: The buyer says everything is fine until you ask about a specific recent example. Do not invent a pain point for them.
- Pause for feedback. Quote one useful question and one missed opportunity. Repeat the difficult exchange using a different response.
- Finish by writing the actual agreement. A sensible option, when it fits, is to calibrate the role using an agreed scorecard and sample candidate profiles. A clear decision to pause is also a useful outcome.
What to avoid
| Common mistake | Running through a long questionnaire without following up on an important answer. |
|---|---|
| A stronger direction | You mentioned a missed handover. What happened immediately after that? |
| Scope and claim boundary | Do not guarantee a hire or invent candidate availability. |
| What to measure in real work | time between candidate submission and a useful hiring decision. Establish a baseline and definition before interpreting a change. |
An example conversation
Before we discuss a solution, could you walk me through what happens today?
Our concern is that interviewers assess different criteria and suitable candidates disengage. Also, compensation and interview availability need approval before outreach.
Which capability must the person demonstrate in the first three months?
Another recruiter charges a lower percentage.
Let us compare the search scope, screening evidence and replacement terms before comparing fees alone.
What have you already tried, and what changed as a result?
Your working sheet.
Make the exercise your own. Notes are saved in this browser when storage is available. Download a copy to keep; avoid confidential information on a shared device.
Example: interviewers assess different criteria and suitable candidates disengage; compensation and interview availability need approval before outreach.
Example: What have you already tried, and what changed as a result? Industry question: Which capability must the person demonstrate in the first three months?
Example: an anonymised candidate brief mapped to the agreed role criteria. Do not guarantee a hire or invent candidate availability.
Example: Propose a clear next step, such as: calibrate the role using an agreed scorecard and sample candidate profiles. Confirm the owner and date.
Review your work
This is a reflection checklist, not an automated assessment.
Questions
Who is this recruitment agencies exercise for?+
Can I use the example as a script?+
How should I assess the result?+
Fictional training scenario. The dialogue illustrates response choices; it is not a customer testimonial or a record of a real sale.
Explore more sales resourcesTake the conversation further.
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