Recruiters: are candidates seeing your calls as spam?

If candidates stop picking up, your number may be showing a warning like "Spam Risk" or "Scam Likely." Most candidates have never saved your number, and recruiting outreach is often a first, unexpected call, which is exactly what spam analytics watch for. Check what a candidate's phone shows, fix the cause, and request a review.

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Why recruiters get flagged

Unexpected first calls. Sourced candidates often don't know you're calling. Hiya's reputation grades look at whether people answer and whether they stay on the line. Calls people aren't expecting score poorly on both.
Volume in bursts. Working a fresh shortlist means many calls in a short window, often short ones. The FCC's examples of reasonable call analytics include large bursts of calls and short average call durations.
Following up after silence. Repeated calls to someone who didn't answer or didn't respond are one of the patterns Hiya links to poor reputation and blocking.
Candidates block instead of replying. A single "block" from an uninterested candidate feeds the same reputation data. Hiya says reputation depends mainly on feedback like spam reports and blocked calls.

What to do

Check what candidates see. Run a check on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. Our test phones don't have your number saved, so they see what a new candidate sees.
Make the call expected. Reach out first by email or message, say when you'll call and from which number, and invite them to save it. Hiya notes that when a wanted call goes unanswered, the recipient often just doesn't realize who's calling.
Set your caller name. Ask your phone provider to display your agency's name. It's separate from spam labels, but it helps candidates recognize you.
Register your numbers for free: Free Caller Registry, plus Hiya Number Registration.
If you're flagged, fix the cause and request a review: AT&T · Verizon · T-Mobile
Re-check every few days until it clears.

Don't rotate numbers to stay ahead of labels. New numbers have no history, which draws scrutiny, and the calling pattern that caused the label comes with you.

FAQ

Why don't candidates answer my calls anymore?

Your number may be labeled "Spam Risk," "Scam Likely" or "Potential Spam" on their phones. Candidates rarely save a recruiter's number, so they see whatever their carrier displays. Check what a phone without your number saved shows.

How do I stop my recruiting calls from being marked as spam?

Make calls expected, by messaging first and saying which number you'll call from. Avoid bursts of short calls and repeated follow-ups to people who don't respond. Set your caller name, register your number, and request a review if it's already flagged.

Do candidates who saved my number see the warning?

On AT&T, no. Saved contacts override spam warnings. That's why the problem can be invisible to you and the candidates you already know.

Sources

See what your number shows

Call our real AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile phones and see the label, caller name and a screenshot. The first check of any number is free.

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