# 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.

[Check your number free](/#check) *(AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile)*

## 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

1. **Check what candidates see.** [Run a check](/#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.
2. **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.
3. **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.
4. **Register your numbers for free:** [Free Caller Registry](https://freecallerregistry.com), plus [Hiya Number Registration](https://www.hiya.com/products/connect/number-registration).
5. **If you're flagged, fix the cause and request a review:** [AT&T](/guides/remove-spam-label-att) · [Verizon](/guides/remove-spam-label-verizon) · [T-Mobile](/guides/remove-scam-likely-tmobile)
6. **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

- [Hiya Connect: Caller reputation and spam label help](https://connect-support.hiya.com/hc/en-us/articles/54311390207891-Caller-reputation-and-spam-label-help)
- [Hiya Connect: Branded Call FAQ](https://connect-support.hiya.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500006429402-Branded-Call-Frequently-Asked-Questions)
- [AT&T ActiveArmor terms of service](https://www.att.com/activearmormseula)
- [ACA International: Summary of FCC 2019 declaratory ruling](https://policymakers.acainternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/concerns-regarding-fcc-call-blocking-and-labeling-efforts-declaratory-ruling-and-fnprm-may-2019.pdf)
- [TNS: FreeCallerRegistry.com launch](https://tnsi.com/?p=2046)