Agency recruiters vs in-house recruiters — a critical distinction
Before crafting your reply, identify who sent the message. Agency (third-party) recruiters work on commission and often send the same message to hundreds of candidates for a role they may not have exclusively. In-house (corporate) recruiters work directly for the hiring company and are typically recruiting for a specific, confirmed open role.
How to tell the difference: look at the sender's current company. If it's a staffing firm (Hays, Korn Ferry, Robert Half, etc.), it's an agency recruiter. If it's a company you recognise or researched, it's in-house. In-house recruiter messages are higher quality signals — they almost always have a real role and direct hiring authority.
How to tell if a role is worth pursuing from a 3-sentence message
Most recruiter InMails are short. Before replying enthusiastically, scan for these signals: Does the message name the company, or is it vague ("an exciting opportunity at a leading tech firm")? Is the role title clear and relevant to your background? Is there any indication of location, remote policy, or compensation range?
Vague messages — especially ones that don't name the company — are usually agency recruiters with low placement probability or even outright scams. A strong message from a serious recruiter typically includes the company name, a real role title, why they thought of you specifically, and a clear next step.
How to respond when you're interested
Keep it short and move toward the next step. Don't over-explain your situation or send your CV unprompted. A good response when interested:
"Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out — [Role] at [Company] sounds interesting. I'd be happy to learn more. Could you share the full job description? Happy to schedule a call once I've reviewed it."
This does three things: signals genuine interest, positions you as someone who does due diligence (not desperate), and moves toward a concrete next step without over-committing.
How to respond when you're not interested
A polite decline now keeps the door open for future roles. Recruiters — especially in-house ones — will remember candidates who responded graciously.
"Hi [Name], thank you for thinking of me. I'm not actively looking at the moment / this particular role isn't the right fit for me right now, but I'd be glad to stay connected for future opportunities."
Do not ghost. Do not write a long explanation. One sentence declining, one sentence leaving the door open.
What to ask when you want information before deciding
If the message is promising but you need more before committing to a call, ask specifically for: the full job description, the compensation range (especially if the message was vague), the location and remote policy, and whether the role is with the company directly or via contract/agency placement.
Compensation range is the most important thing to clarify upfront. A 30-minute call that ends with a salary 40% below your range is wasted time for both parties. Good recruiters will give you a range before scheduling — if they refuse entirely, that's a red flag.
Red flags in recruiter messages
Watch for: no company name mentioned, an overseas phone number on a local role, pressure to "act fast before the role closes," requests for your CV or personal details before a conversation, grammar and spelling errors (often signals a scam or mass-blast operation), or a role title that doesn't match your background at all (signals you're on a generic mass-contact list).
Legitimate recruiters — especially in-house ones — never pressure you or request sensitive personal information before you've had a proper conversation.