If you miss a call from a recruiter, don't worry, it happens all of the time and often is expected.  Recruiters specialize in actively sourcing people online and have many tools in their arsenal to find the right people for the jobs they are recruiting.  These tools often include software to find phone numbers.  Recruiters also know that they are calling people who are currently working, busy and like many of us, don't want to answer unknown numbers.  The recruiter is calling you to talk about a job that could be a potential fit for your background.  They'd like to learn more about you, your career journey, your salary expectations and to share with you the role that they are working on.  Even if you aren't currently looking for a new role or haven't thought about it, having a conversation with a recruiter is always a great way to network and make a new connection that may be valuable to you in the future.  

Once you're in a place to be able to speak about your career (including salary targets) openly, give the recruiter a call back, even if it is after hours.  If you get a voicemail when you call back, let them know a good time to reach you during the next few days so that you can connect.  It's also okay to send a text message as well.  Don't wait too long to return their call as they are actively calling other candidates and if it is a fit for you, you want to make sure that time is of the essence.  Within two business days from the call is reasonable.  

When calling the recruiter back, be sure to share your first and last name.  It seems simple enough, but many times they will have made many calls and will be looking you up in their database to pull up your information.  Any additional context that you can share back with them is also helpful.  For example, you can say, "Hi, this is Lisa Barrow, I received a message from you yesterday about a Marketing Manager position and I wanted to reconnect."  This isn't a formal interview, but be prepared to share your background and strengths.  It is also a great time to ask questions and learn more about what the recruiter is connecting about.  Recruiters are friendly and excited to hear from you, so you should be in for an interesting conversation.  

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Kada CEO, Lisa Barrow, shares her insight on the topic with Best Fit Work