Hello, this is a question directed at hiring managers who are approached by recruitment agencies - are there any cold approaches which would get your interest in a candidate/agency or are they all worthless. I work for an agency and am fairly close to believing that cold approaches either with or without a suitable candidate do not work and are a waste of time for agency and client alike. Am I right...

Bad day at the office Quest?

A cold call could come through at exactly the right time and 'get lucky', but it's not very likely. Over time, and with enough hounding, they might eventually remember your name and call you when they do have a requirement. But again, it's pretty unlikely. Cold calls are pretty much a waste of time for both the caller and the recipient. Very invasive too, and they always call from a 'withheld number' so you can't easily filter them out. I guess it's the 1 in 1,000 mentality that keeps people doing these things. Kind of like spam - it's just a numbers game before you get a bite on the hook.

Quest you should leave whatever agency it is you have wound up in; you sound inexperienced and if this outfit if encouraging you (or just leaving you to get on with) this type of ineffective approach to winning clients something is wrong there. If you are, as you seem, inexperienced, you need to join an agency which will train you and develop your skills properly, not encourage you to become a volume-monkey.

It can and does work, but its not easy, especially in this market. Keep knocking at the door and eventually it will open.