A recruiter's message almost always arrives at a bad moment: in the middle of a workday, with generic text, and without mentioning what the job pays. The two most common reactions are replying immediately with enthusiasm and the entire resume, or leaving it unread because there is no job search underway. Both waste the contact. The first hands over all the information before knowing whether the role is worth anything; the second closes a relationship that could matter a year from now.
Responding well takes five minutes and follows simple logic: thank them, ask for the minimum needed to decide, and propose a concrete next step. This guide covers the three cases (interested, not interested now, need more information), with short templates in a professional register, reasonable response windows, and the mistakes that cost the most.
In this guide
Understanding who is writing and why
Not all recruiters are the same, and the answer shifts depending on who is on the other side. An in-house recruiter works at the hiring company and usually knows the role, the team, and the salary band. An agency recruiter or headhunter works for several clients at once, sometimes cannot name the company until a second conversation, and is paid on placement. An automated message, by contrast, goes out to hundreds of profiles matching a filter and guarantees nothing about anyone having read yours.
Two signals help tell them apart. The first is the degree of personalization: a message mentioning something specific about the profile (a project, a tool, a previous employer) was written by a person. The second is what information it includes: role, company or industry, location, and work arrangement. The less the message says, the more worth asking before giving anything. Well-built profiles receive more contacts and better ones; how to get there is in optimizing a LinkedIn profile.
If the role is interesting: what to ask before the call
Agreeing to a call without asking anything carries a cost: half an hour of conversation to discover the job is onsite in another city or pays 30% below the current salary. Four data points are enough to decide whether talking is worth it, and asking for them in writing is normal; no serious recruiter takes offense.
- Salary range, or if they cannot give one, at least confirmation that it clears a personal reference number. In states and cities with pay transparency laws, the posted range should already exist.
- Work arrangement and location: remote, hybrid, or onsite, and from where.
- Company or industry, by name when possible, or the type of company if the recruiter cannot disclose it yet.
- Stage and process: how many rounds, whether it is a new search or a long-open req, and when they need it filled.
A reply that combines interest with those questions:
Thank you for reaching out, [Name]. The [role] position sounds interesting. Before we set up a call, could you share the expected salary range, the work arrangement, and where the process currently stands? With that I can confirm my availability this week. Best regards.
If the details fit, propose two concrete time slots and ask for the job description in writing. The first call is usually a 20 to 30 minute recruiter screen; what gets asked and evaluated there is in the HR screening interview.
Asking for the salary range before the call is neither rude nor costly. It saves both sides time, and a recruiter who refuses to give any reference point is telling you something about the process.
If it is not interesting now: leaving the door open
Ignoring the message is the most common option and the worst one. Recruiters work from contact lists they reuse, and someone who replied courteously gets noted as a person worth talking to when something better appears. Declining well takes three lines and leaves useful information behind: what would change the answer.
Thank you for reaching out, [Name]. I'm not evaluating a change at the moment, so I'd rather not move forward with this search. If a position comes up in the future that is [type of role or condition: remote, focused on X, in a given industry], I'd be glad to talk. I appreciate you thinking of me. Best regards.
There is a useful variation when the role is not a fit but someone in your network would be: offer a referral. Recommending a suitable contact strengthens the relationship with the recruiter at no cost, as long as the person being recommended is told first. What does not help is inventing elaborate excuses or closing with a bare "not interested."
If information is missing: asking without seeming difficult
Many opening messages say little more than "I have an opportunity that might interest you, can we talk?" Saying yes with nothing else hands over the calendar blind; replying with ten questions drives the recruiter away. The middle ground is asking for three data points and offering something in return: availability to talk once they arrive.
Thank you for reaching out, [Name]. I'd like to know more about the position. To evaluate whether it makes sense to move forward, could you send the job description, the work arrangement, and the expected salary range? I'll get back to you shortly with those in hand. Best regards.
If the recruiter answers that the range gets discussed on the call, the call can be accepted while making clear that your own expectation will be shared once the scope of the role is known. How to handle that conversation, with a range and without giving away the number, is in how to answer the salary expectations question. If the recruiter does not respond to the request for information at all, there is no need to press: the silence is already an answer.
Response times and what to send
The reasonable window for answering a recruiter is 24 to 48 business hours. Sooner adds nothing and reads as anxious; later, and the process may have moved on with other people. If more time is needed to decide, say so in one line: "I'll come back to you with my availability on Thursday." What does not work is a week of silence followed by an enthusiastic message.
On what to attach: in the first exchange, nothing. The recruiter has already seen the profile, and the resume gets sent once the role is known, so it can be tailored to that specific search. When they ask, the file should be a one-page PDF with a professional filename, not the LinkedIn profile export. From that moment on, the contact is one more process worth recording: who wrote, for which role, what was sent, and when the next conversation was agreed, in the same list used for tracking applications.
Mistakes that cost the process
The most frequent mistakes in replying to a recruiter are not about content but about form and timing. Some get corrected in the next message; others close the door for a while.
| Avoid | Better |
|---|---|
| Replying with the resume attached and three paragraphs of career history | Thanking them, asking two or three concrete questions, and offering availability |
| Asking "how much does it pay?" as the only line | Asking for the range alongside the arrangement and the process, in a cordial tone |
| Not replying because there is no search underway | Declining in three lines, making clear what would change the answer |
| Agreeing to a call without knowing company, arrangement, or range | Asking for those in writing and proposing two concrete time slots |
| Replying at two in the morning, ten minutes later, with typos | Replying during business hours, within 48 hours, proofread |
| Saying in the first message that you are "desperate for a change" | Measured interest: "this sounds interesting," plus concrete questions |
One last, less visible mistake: treating the contact as closed after the first call without a closing message. A short thank-you with the agreed next steps keeps the process orderly; the follow-up email has its own guide.
Frequently asked questions
How should you respond when a recruiter messages you on LinkedIn?
Thank them for reaching out, say whether the role is of interest, and ask for the details needed to decide: salary range, work arrangement, company or industry, and stage of the process. All of it in four or five lines, with a proposed next step, within 48 business hours.
Is it appropriate to ask about pay before the call?
Yes, by asking for the expected range alongside the arrangement and the process, in a cordial tone. It is a normal question that saves both sides time. If the recruiter cannot share it yet, the call can be accepted while noting that your own expectation will be discussed once the scope is clear.
How do you say no to a recruiter without burning the contact?
In three lines: thank them, say a change is not under consideration right now, and describe what kind of position would be of interest in the future. If someone in your network fits the role, offering the referral (after telling that person) strengthens the relationship.
Should the resume go out in the first reply?
No. The recruiter has already seen the profile, and the resume is better sent once the role is known, so it can be tailored to that search. When they ask, it should be a one-page PDF prepared for that position.
How long can you take to reply?
Twenty-four to forty-eight business hours is the reasonable range. If more time is needed to decide, say so in one line with a concrete date rather than leaving the message unanswered.
What if the recruiter never answers the questions?
Wait a week and, at most, send one short reminder. If there is still no reply, treat the contact as closed without pressing: a search where the range and the arrangement cannot be obtained in writing rarely goes well.