The Vital Role of Recruiters in a Bear Market: Generating Sales Leads

In a challenging bear market, where budgets are tight and decision-making is cautious, proactive lead generation becomes the lifeline of revenue growth. With deals taking up to 40% longer to close in economic slowdowns, having a dedicated team to identify and engage high-value prospects is not just important—it’s essential. 

Research shows that 78% of top-performing sales teams rely on Business Development Representatives (BDRs) and Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) to maintain a steady flow of new opportunities during downturns. 

But if you’re like most staffing firms, you don’t have a team of BDR’s or SDR’s.

Instead, you need to double down on your recruiters efforts to generate a steady stream of sales leads. 

Let’s dive into the key scenarios where recruiters can generate sales leads and the specific messaging to use for each.

During Candidate Interviews

During the candidate interview and “check-in” calls, post client submission, while qualifying and re-qualifying the candidate’s current situation, recruiters can gather critical information about other companies who are interviewing and hiring.

For this to work however, two things must happen.

First, the recruiter must successfully cross the trust gap. The trust gap refers to the inherent skepticism or lack of trust that often exists between recruiters and their candidates. This gap arises because candidates are naturally cautious about the motivations of recruiters, perceiving them as primarily self-serving—focused on closing the deal rather than genuinely helping them achieve their career goals. 

There are a variety of of reasons for why the trust gap exists, a few of which are:

Negative Stereotypes/Cognitive Bias: Recruiters are often associated with high-pressure tactics or exaggerated claims, leading candidates to approach interactions with suspicion.

Information Asymmetry: Candidates often feel at a disadvantage, assuming the recruiter knows more about the opportunity and other candidates and may use that knowledge against them.

Past Experiences: A history of bad experiences with pushy or untrustworthy recruiters can shape candidate perceptions.

Risk of Making a Bad Decision: Career decisions  involve risks. Candidates are wary of being "sold" on something that may not deliver the promised results.

To develop the skills to consistently earn candidate trust, check out this you must develop a few key communication skills. 

Second, assuming you have earned the trust of your candidate, you must properly frame and contextualize the conversation. You can’t just ask the candidate "Where are you interviewing and who did you interview with?”    

Here are a few talk tracks to consider.

"I work with a lot of companies and have a sense of what different roles might offer. If you'd like, I can share insights about companies or opportunities you’re considering to help you make an informed decision.  How does that sound?” (check for agreement).
"I’d love to understand what kinds of roles you’re exploring so I can better highlight the parts of this opportunity that might align with your goals. Can you share what else you’re considering and why?"

"Job searches can be stressful, especially if you're managing multiple interviews. What other opportunities are you excited about right now that you're comparing to this one?"

"It’s helpful for me to understand where you’re interviewing so I can time follow-ups appropriately and support you throughout the process. What specific roles or companies are you already in discussions with?"

During Candidate Reference Checks

As most of us know, reference calls are an ideal time to generate sales leads because the recruiter is speaking directly with decision-makers or hiring managers. But, like the prior tactic, two things must happen for this approach to work.

First, the recruiter must conduct a genuine, thorough reference check before pivoting the conversation. The act of conducting the reference check is how the recruiter builds credibility, trust, and rapport with the hiring manager.  

Second, the recruiter must properly frame and contextualize the conversation in such a way that it invites the hiring manager into the conversation.

For example, after completing the reference check, you might say:  “Thank you for providing such great feedback on [candidate’s name]. It sounds like they’ve been an incredible asset to your team. If you don’t mind me asking, how does your team typically go about hiring contractors or full-time employees? What would it take for us to partner with your organization on staffing needs?”

Here is another example. "Thank you so much for providing such thoughtful feedback about [candidate's name]. It’s clear that you value building strong teams, which is something I really admire. Before we wrap up, I’d love to ask you a couple of quick questions about how you typically approach hiring contractors or working with staffing firms—if that’s alright with you?"

Nurturing Placed, Actively Billing Candidates

The third tactic for recruiters to generate sales leads takes place by nurturing actively billing candidates on assignment. This, in my opinion, is the easiest tactic to execute because the recruiter has done something for the candidate; they got them a job.

As with the other two tactics, two things must happen for this to work.

First, the recruiter must properly set candidate expectations. Immediately after the candidate accepts the job, the recruiter must set expectations for how their relationship will evolve over the course of the candidate’s assignment.

Here is a sample talk track of what the recruiter says to the caniddate to set expectations for the relationship.

"Hi [Candidate's Name], I want to take a moment to thank you again for trusting me and [Company Name] with this opportunity to support your career. I’m really excited for you to get started at [Client Company] and am confident this will be a great next step for you.”

“Now that you’re all set, I’d like to share how I plan to stay connected with you going forward so that you continue to feel supported in your new role.”

Set Expectations For Staying Connected for Success

“First, I’ll be checking in with you every few weeks to make sure everything is going well on your end—how you’re adjusting to the team, whether the work aligns with your expectations, and if there’s anything I can do to help make the experience even better.”

Set Expectations For A Collaborative Relationship

“Second, you’re now part of a trusted network of professionals I work closely with.  I wanted to set the expectation upfront so that you know how I see this as a collaborative relationship where we’re both working to support each other’s success. I really value your insights as someone who has firsthand experience in the field. You’re in a great position to notice trends and opportunities in the market, and that perspective can be invaluable. For example, if you receive outreach from other recruiters about roles, I’d love it if you could let me know. Not only does this help us stay ahead of any potential market shifts, but it also allows me to better support you by keeping tabs on what’s happening in your industry and making sure your role stays competitive. Does that sound fair?” (check for agreement).”

Set Expectations for How This Benefits The Candidate

“Sharing this information can also benefit you directly. It helps me understand what opportunities are in demand and ensure I’m always positioning you for success in any future moves you might want to make down the road. “To be clear, my goal here is to make sure this partnership stays valuable for both of us. If you ever feel uncertain about an opportunity or simply want my advice, I’m here as a resource for you—not just now, but throughout your career. Does that sound fair?”

Yes, this is a lot to communicate. But only because it is about how you contextualize and package your message. 

Second, when calling your candidate every few weeks to stay connected, you must properly frame and contextualize the conversation.  Here is a sample talk track.

Candidate "Check-In" Call 

“I wanted to check in to see how things are going so far. Are you enjoying the role? Is it aligning with your expectations? Are there any challenges I can help with or feedback you’d like me to share with [Client Company]?"

Reinforce the Relationship

"I really appreciate you taking the time to share that with me. One of my goals as your recruiter is not just to get you into a great role, but to continue supporting you throughout your career. I want to make sure this opportunity stays a great fit for you, and if there’s ever anything you need, I’m here for you."

"Speaking of staying connected, I also wanted to ask you about employment market trends  Given your background, I bet your email and LinkedIn inbox is exploding from recruiters promoting new opportunities. What calls and LinkedIn messages have you received about other roles lately? I ask because staying informed about what’s happening in the market—what companies are hiring and for what kinds of roles—helps me better understand trends and keep my candidates and clients ahead of the curve."

Gather Information Thoughtfully

"When you do receive a message from a recruiter or another employer, would you mind sharing a bit about what you’re hearing? For example, which companies are actively hiring, or what types of opportunities they’re discussing? This helps me not only keep tabs on market demand but also make sure your current role stays competitive."

Emphasize Mutual Benefit

"The goal here is to stay proactive so that if anything changes or new opportunities open up, I can be a resource for you. And of course, if you ever need advice on whether something is worth exploring or not, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m here to help."
 
Wrap Up with Gratitude

"Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me, [Candidate's Name]. I really value our partnership and want to keep being a resource for you, both now and in the future. Let’s plan to check in again soon—does a few weeks from now work for you?"

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