Client intake call agenda: a 45-minute running order for agency recruiters
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A client intake call agenda for an agency recruiter runs in seven blocks over about 45 minutes: the reason the role is open, the work and the must-haves, success and the team, pay and logistics, the interview process with feedback times, terms, and a read-back where you repeat what you heard and the client corrects it. The agenda goes to the client before the call, and a one-page recap goes after it. The call ends with dated commitments on both sides, not "we'll be in touch."
This page is the running order. The questions to ask inside each block, with what a useful answer sounds like, are in the companion article on intake meeting questions. Use the two together: this page for the structure and the timing, that one for the wording.
The agenda at a glance
| Minutes | Block | What you leave with |
|---|---|---|
| 0–3 | Open and confirm the time | Agreement on the agenda and the end time |
| 3–8 | Why the role is open | The real urgency and, for a backfill, why the last person left |
| 8–20 | The work and the must-haves | Three to five must-haves, ranked, and the nice-to-haves |
| 20–26 | Success, team and manager | What the first six to twelve months look like; why someone would join |
| 26–31 | Pay, location, logistics | A pay range in writing, the work pattern, the start date |
| 31–37 | Interview process and feedback | Stages, interviewers, dates held, feedback within a set number of days |
| 37–40 | Terms | Fee, guarantee, exclusivity, confirmed or scheduled |
| 40–45 | Read-back and next steps | Corrections, and the date of the first shortlist |
For a repeat role with a client you know well, cut blocks two, four and seven to a few minutes each and spend the time on what has changed since the last hire.
Before the call: the agenda email
Send it when you book the call. A hiring manager who sees "feedback" and "terms" on the agenda comes prepared to commit to both.
Subject: [Role] intake, [day] at [time]
Hi [Name],
Looking forward to [day]. So we use the 45 minutes well, here's what
I'd like to cover:
1. Why the role is open and how urgent it is
2. The work, and the three to five things the person must have
3. What success looks like in the first year
4. Pay range, location and start date
5. Interview stages and how quickly you can give feedback
6. Terms [delete if already signed]
7. A quick read-back so you can correct anything I've misheard
If you have a job description, interview notes from a past hire, or a
profile of someone who'd be ideal, please send them before we speak.
[Your name]Spend ten minutes preparing: read the job description and mark every requirement, check your notes on past roles with this client, and find two or three real profiles at different levels to test the brief against.
Running each block
0–3: Open
"Thanks for the time. I've got us until [time]. I'd like to cover the
seven things in my email and finish with a read-back so you can
correct me. Anything you want to add before we start?"Ask "is anyone else involved in this decision?" here. If the answer is yes and they are not on the call, book fifteen minutes with them before you start sourcing.
3–8: Why the role is open
Find out whether it is new headcount or a backfill, what happens if it stays empty, and what went right or wrong with the last person. Candidates will ask you why the role is open; you need an answer you can repeat.
8–20: The work and the must-haves
The longest block, and the one that decides whether your shortlist lands. Ask what the person will actually do in a normal week, then go through the job description line by line: "If someone had everything except this, would you see them?" Every requirement that survives that question is a must-have. Rank them.
Then show the profiles you prepared, anonymized. "Would you interview this person? What's missing?" Reactions to a real profile are more honest than answers to an abstract question, and they often surface the must-have nobody wrote down.
20–26: Success, team and manager
Ask what a great first year looks like, who the person will work with every day, and how the manager likes to work. Finish with the question that becomes your pitch to candidates: "Why would a strong person leave a good job to join you?"
26–31: Pay, location and logistics
Get the pay range in writing, the bonus or commission structure, the work pattern (and whether it is written into the offer), any travel, the start date, and any checks that come before an offer. If the range is below what the must-haves cost in your market, say so now, with examples from recent placements, not later when the shortlist is thin.
31–37: Interview process and feedback
Write down every stage, who runs it and how long it takes. Then ask the client to hold interview slots now, before you have candidates. Agree how quickly they will give feedback after each stage, and agree how they want to receive candidates: a call first, a written submittal, or both. The way you will present candidates is covered in how to present candidates to clients.
37–40: Terms
If terms are not signed, keep this short and factual: fee, payment timing, guarantee, and whether the search is exclusive. Do not start sourcing on a verbal agreement. The clauses themselves are in the placement fee agreement template.
"Before I start, let's confirm terms. Our standard is [fee] of first-year
base, payable [when], with a [length] replacement guarantee. I'll send
the agreement today. Can you get it signed by [day]?"40–45: Read-back and next steps
This is the most useful five minutes of the call. Read your notes back in one breath and ask the client to correct you.
"Let me play it back. You need a [title] because [reason]. The must-haves,
in order: [1], [2], [3]. Nice to have: [x]. Pay is [range] plus [bonus],
[work pattern], starting by [date]. Interviews are [stages], you're
holding [dates], and you'll give feedback within [n] working days.
Terms as agreed. What have I got wrong?"Then agree the commitments on both sides, with dates:
- You: first shortlist by [date], with a call before each submittal.
- Client: feedback within the agreed days, interview slots held, terms signed by [date].
- Both: a short check-in on [date] to adjust the brief if the market says it needs adjusting.
After the call: the recap email
Send it the same day. It turns the conversation into something both of you can point to when the brief drifts in week three.
Subject: [Role] — what we agreed
Hi [Name],
Thanks for today. Here's what I have. Please correct anything wrong.
ROLE: [Title], [team], reporting to [manager]. Open because [reason].
MUST-HAVES (in order):
1. [ ]
2. [ ]
3. [ ]
NICE TO HAVE: [ ]
FIRST-YEAR SUCCESS: [ ]
PAY: [range] + [bonus]. [Work pattern]. Start by [date].
PROCESS: [Stage 1, who] → [Stage 2, who] → [Offer]. Slots held: [dates].
FEEDBACK: within [n] working days of each interview.
TERMS: [signed / agreement attached, to sign by date].
NEXT: First shortlist from me by [date]. Check-in on [date].
[Your name]The must-haves in this email become the headings of every candidate submittal you send for the role, so write them in the client's words.
Should you take the job order? A five-line check
Score each line after the call. This is a judgment aid, not a formula; adjust it to your desk.
| Question | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Is the decision-maker engaged? | They ran the call themselves | Only HR, who has not met the team |
| Are the must-haves realistic for the pay? | Matches recent placements | A senior wish list at a mid-level range |
| Will they give feedback on time? | Committed to a number of days and held slots | "We'll see how it goes" |
| Are terms agreed? | Signed, or a date to sign | "Just send people and we'll sort it out" |
| Is anyone else working on it? | Exclusive, or one or two firms | Several agencies and an internal team, all at once |
Two or more warning signs do not mean you decline. They mean you say what would make it workable before you invest the hours: "I can give this priority if we can agree feedback within two days and terms by Friday."
Common intake call mistakes
- No agenda sent. The call turns into a reading of the job description.
- Must-haves not ranked. Every candidate misses something, and you cannot tell which miss matters.
- Pay left vague. "Competitive" is not a range. Ask again, or test with a number.
- No feedback commitment. The single biggest cause of good candidates lost mid-process.
- No read-back. The misunderstanding surfaces three weeks later, in a rejected shortlist.
- Sourcing before terms are signed. Hard to fix once a candidate is in the client's inbox.
Questions people ask
How long should a client intake call be?
About 45 minutes for a new client or a hard role, and 20 to 25 minutes for a repeat role with a client you already know. Under 15 minutes usually means the must-haves, the pay range or the feedback times were never agreed.
Should I discuss fees on the intake call?
Yes, if terms are not already signed. Put it on the agenda so it is expected, keep it to a few minutes, and do not start sourcing until the terms are agreed in writing.
Who should be on the intake call?
The person who will make the hiring decision. HR or talent acquisition can join, but an intake run only with someone who has never met the team tends to produce a copy of the job description rather than the real must-haves.
What if the client will not commit to feedback times?
Say what it will cost them: candidates who wait a week for feedback often accept other offers. If they still will not commit, treat the job order as lower priority and tell them so politely.