Make telephone calls to customers — Recruitment & Employment Confederation End-Point Assessment Marketing & Sales Revision

    This element focuses on the essential communication skills required to effectively make telephone calls to customers in a recruitment context. Learners wil

    Topic Synopsis

    This element focuses on the essential communication skills required to effectively make telephone calls to customers in a recruitment context. Learners will develop the ability to plan calls by setting clear objectives, structuring conversations, and anticipating potential objections, ensuring professional interactions. Practical application includes engaging with candidates and clients to gather information, convey opportunities, and build relationships that lead to successful placements.

    Key Concepts & Core Principles

    Exam Tips & Revision Strategies

    Common Misconceptions & Mistakes to Avoid

    Examiner Marking Points

    Make telephone calls to customers

    RECRUITMENT & EMPLOYMENT CONFEDERATION
    vocational

    This element focuses on the essential communication skills required to effectively make telephone calls to customers in a recruitment context. Learners will develop the ability to plan calls by setting clear objectives, structuring conversations, and anticipating potential objections, ensuring professional interactions. Practical application includes engaging with candidates and clients to gather information, convey opportunities, and build relationships that lead to successful placements.

    1
    Learning Outcomes
    3
    Assessment Guidance
    3
    Key Skills
    1
    Key Terms
    3
    Assessment Criteria

    Assessment criteria

    REC Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Recruitment Resourcing (RQF)

    Topic Overview

    The REC Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Recruitment Resourcing (RQF) is a foundational qualification designed for individuals working in recruitment resourcing roles, such as resourcers, researchers, or trainee consultants. It focuses on the practical skills needed to identify, attract, and engage candidates for job vacancies, covering the entire resourcing lifecycle from understanding client requirements to managing candidate relationships. This qualification is awarded by the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and is part of the wider Marketing & Sales vocational pathway, emphasizing the sales-driven nature of recruitment where effective resourcing directly impacts business success.

    The qualification is structured around mandatory units that include conducting searches, screening candidates, and maintaining accurate records, as well as optional units that allow learners to specialize in areas like using social media for resourcing or managing candidate referrals. It is assessed through a portfolio of evidence, demonstrating competence in real work scenarios. Mastery of this NVQ is crucial for building a career in recruitment, as it provides the practical knowledge required to source top talent efficiently, which is a key driver of client satisfaction and revenue in the recruitment industry.

    Within the broader context of Marketing & Sales, this qualification bridges the gap between understanding customer (client) needs and delivering a product (candidate) that meets those needs. It teaches students how to apply sales techniques, such as negotiation and persuasion, in a recruitment context, while also emphasizing ethical practices and compliance with UK employment laws. By completing this NVQ, students gain a recognized credential that demonstrates their ability to contribute effectively to a recruitment team, making them valuable assets to agencies or in-house HR departments.

    Key Concepts

    Core ideas you must understand for this topic

    • →Candidate Sourcing: The process of identifying potential candidates through various channels, including job boards, social media (e.g., LinkedIn), networking events, and referrals. Effective sourcing requires a strategic approach to reach passive and active candidates.
    • →Screening and Shortlisting: Evaluating candidates against job specifications by reviewing CVs, conducting phone interviews, and assessing skills, experience, and cultural fit. This ensures only suitable candidates are presented to clients.
    • →Compliance and Legislation: Understanding key UK employment laws, such as the Equality Act 2010, the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003, and data protection under GDPR. Compliance is critical to avoid legal issues and maintain professional standards.
    • →Client and Candidate Relationship Management: Building and maintaining strong relationships with both clients (to understand their needs) and candidates (to provide a positive experience). This involves effective communication, managing expectations, and providing feedback.
    • →Record Keeping and Data Management: Accurately documenting all resourcing activities, including candidate interactions, client communications, and placement details. This supports compliance, performance tracking, and continuous improvement.

    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Understand how to make telephone calls to customers, Be able to plan telephone calls to customers, Be able to make telephone calls to customers

    Assessment Criteria

    Key criteria assessors look for in your portfolio

    • Award credit for demonstrating a clear understanding of the purpose and value of different types of telephone calls (e.g., fact-finds, updates, feedback calls) in recruitment.
    • Award credit for producing a written call plan that includes specific objectives, opening statements, key questions, and anticipated responses or objections.
    • Award credit for evidencing active listening and appropriate questioning techniques during calls, with follow-up actions documented.

    Assessment Guidance

    Guidance for achieving higher grades

    • 💡For your portfolio, include a variety of call recordings or observation records that demonstrate different call types and objectives, annotated with your reflection.
    • 💡In your written evidence, map each element of your call plan directly to the ‘plan’ and ‘make’ criteria in the learning outcomes to ensure full coverage.
    • 💡During observed assessments, verbalise your thought process when handling unexpected responses to showcase your understanding of how to adapt communication in real time.
    • 💡Tip 1: Provide specific, real-world examples in your portfolio evidence. For instance, describe a time you sourced a candidate through a creative method (e.g., using a niche online community) and how that led to a successful placement. This demonstrates competence beyond theory.
    • 💡Tip 2: Show your understanding of the sales aspect by linking resourcing activities to business outcomes. For example, explain how your candidate shortlist contributed to a client winning a contract or how your efficient sourcing reduced time-to-hire, saving costs.
    • 💡Tip 3: Keep detailed records of your activities, including dates, communications, and outcomes. This not only supports your portfolio but also helps you reflect on your performance and identify areas for improvement, which examiners look for in reflective accounts.

    Common Mistakes

    Common errors to avoid in your coursework

    • Assuming all telephone calls require the same approach; not tailoring style or structure to the call purpose (e.g., cold call vs. scheduled check-in).
    • Over-scripting conversations, leading to robotic delivery and reduced flexibility when the conversation diverges from the plan.
    • Neglecting to log call outcomes and agreed next steps immediately, causing missed opportunities or broken commitments.
    • Misconception: Resourcing is just about posting jobs and waiting for applications. Correction: Effective resourcing requires proactive sourcing, networking, and targeted outreach to find the best candidates, especially for hard-to-fill roles. Passive candidates often make the best hires.
    • Misconception: Screening is simply checking a CV against a job description. Correction: Screening involves in-depth conversations to assess motivation, soft skills, and cultural fit, not just technical qualifications. It also includes verifying references and conducting background checks where appropriate.
    • Misconception: Compliance is only the responsibility of the legal team. Correction: Every resourcer must understand and apply relevant legislation in their daily work, such as ensuring non-discriminatory practices and obtaining proper consent for data processing. Non-compliance can lead to fines and reputational damage.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions students ask about this topic

    Before You Start

    Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

    • •Basic understanding of the recruitment industry and common roles (e.g., consultant, resourcer, client).
    • •Familiarity with using computers and common software (e.g., Microsoft Office, CRM systems) for data entry and communication.
    • •Some experience in a customer service or sales environment is beneficial but not essential, as the qualification covers foundational skills.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    • Understand how to make telephone calls to customers, Be able to plan telephone calls to customers, Be able to make telephone calls to customers

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