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Is this open role worth an agency call?
Score any employer’s open role in under a minute. Eight checks tell you whether to call this week, close a gap first, keep watching, or skip it, and why. Built from the checks we run before a recruiter ever dials.
The role
Verdict
Why these checks
A posting on its first day is the worst time to call: every agency in your market sees it, and the company hasn’t yet tried to fill it alone. Weeks later, if the seat is still open, reposted, and there’s no internal recruiting team, the hiring manager has a real problem and far fewer agencies calling. That’s when an agency earns a conversation. The full reasoning is in how to win more job orders.
- Days open and reposts show whether internal hiring has stalled. An old posting alone isn’t proof; it may be frozen or filled and left up.
- In-house recruiters tell you who you’re competing with inside the company.
- Agency language is a stated preference. Respect “no agencies.”
- MSP or VMS programs route contract hiring through approved suppliers. Calling around the program can cost you the account. Ask how to get onto the preferred supplier list instead.
- Fit, signer and candidate decide whether you can actually help, whether you’re talking to someone who can say yes, and whether your opener is specific.
How the score works
Each answer adds points, up to 14. Two answers stop the call outright: a posting that says no agencies, and a company outside where you place. An MSP or VMS program routes you to the program instead of the hiring manager. Otherwise: 10 or more is call this week, 6 to 9 is close the gaps first, under 6 is keep watching. “Not sure” scores zero, so finding out usually raises the score.
| Check | Points |
|---|---|
| Days open | Under 3 weeks 0, 3 to 6 weeks 1, 45 to 90 days 3, over 90 days 1 |
| Reposted seat | Yes 2, no 0 |
| In-house recruiters | None 2, one or two 1, a full TA team 0 |
| Agency language | Works with agencies 1, nothing 0, “no agencies” stops the call |
| MSP or VMS | Yes −2 and routes you to the program |
| Fit with your desk | Yes 2, partly 0, no stops the call |
| Signer known | Named and verified 2, team known 1, no 0 |
| Candidate to lead with | Yes 2, possibly 1, not yet 0 |
Tune it to your desk. If most of your closed business comes from companies with no internal recruiters, weight that check more heavily in your own process.
Questions recruiters ask
When should a recruiter call about an open job?
Not the day it posts, when every agency calls. Roles open roughly 45 to 90 days, especially reposted ones at companies without an internal recruiting team, are the strongest window. Confirm the role is still live first.
Should I call if the posting says no agencies?
No. Respect it on that role. If you have a genuinely strong candidate, a short, specific note to the hiring leader is the most you should do, and many firms skip even that.
What if the company uses an MSP or VMS?
Contract roles then go through the program and its approved suppliers. Ask the MSP how suppliers are added, and don’t pitch hiring managers around it. Direct-hire roles are sometimes outside the program, so ask.
Who should I call at the company?
The hiring leader who owns the team the role sits in: a department head, operations leader or the hiring manager. Talent acquisition and HR usually can’t sign an agency agreement on their own.
Is anything I type saved?
No. The scorecard runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere. Use “Copy for CRM notes” to save the result in your own system.