Recruiter intake form for a new job order
An intake call is the first conversation with the person who owns the role. This form lists the questions worth asking, grouped in the order the call usually flows.
Print it and write on it, copy it into your notes, or download it as a markdown file. Skip any question you already know the answer to.
Recruiter intake form
The company and the contact
Company, contact name, title, email, phone
Who makes the hiring decision?And who has to sign off on an offer?
Best way and time to reach the decision maker
The role
Job title and level
Why is this role open?New role, backfill, growth, or a person who left. If a backfill, what happened?
How many people are needed?
Who does the role report to, and who is on the team?
Ideal start date, and how urgent is it?What happens if it stays open another month?
Employment typeDirect hire, contract, temp-to-hire, or temporary.
Location and work arrangementOn site, hybrid, or remote. Any travel.
What success looks like
What will this person do in the first 90 days?
How will you judge whether they are doing well?
What does the best person you have had in this seat look like?
What went wrong with the last person, or the last few candidates you saw?
Requirements
Must-have skills and experienceThree at most. Everything else is a nice to have.
Nice-to-have skills and experience
Certifications, licenses, or clearances
Work authorization or sponsorship limits
Companies or industries to target
Companies that are off limits
Pay and the offer
Salary or pay rangeIs the top of the range flexible for the right person?
Bonus, commission, equity, or overtime
Benefits and time off worth mentioning
Relocation or signing support, if any
Why would a good candidate say yes?What do you offer that a competing employer does not?
The hiring process
Interview stages and who is in each one
How fast can you move between stages?
How quickly will you give feedback after a submission?
Any assessment, background check, or drug test
How do you want to receive candidates?Email, the client portal, or a shared sheet. How many at a time.
Terms and next steps
Fee or bill rate, guarantee, and payment termsIs there a signed agreement already?
Is this role exclusive to us, or are other agencies working it?
Date of the first shortlist
Next check-in date and time
How to run the call
Book 30 minutes with the person who makes the hiring decision, not only the person who posted the job. If they cannot join, ask for their name and who signs off on an offer.
Ask the open questions first. Save the compensation and fee terms for the end, once they are talking about the role in detail.
- Ask for an example of a person who would be a clear yes, and one who would be a clear no.
- Write down the real reason the role is open. It tells you how urgent it is and what the last person got wrong.
- End by agreeing on a date for the first shortlist and a time for feedback.
Afterward
Send the manager a short summary of what you heard and ask them to correct it. Copy the answers into your job order. The job order template on this site has the fields for that.
Once the deal is priced, the next question is where the next job order comes from. dreach flags the employers hiring now, names the manager who owns the roles, and shows your warmest way in.