How do you run a ring round at a temp agency?
A ring round is the weekly call to every active temp to confirm which days they can work. Build the list from everyone you have not spoken to this week, most-used first, split it by group, call, record each day as free or off, note anything new, and mark them done or no answer before moving on.
Last checked 26 October 2026.
Who goes on the list
- Everyone you are working with who has not been checked this week.
- Leave out people marked inactive or do not use. They are not part of this week's bench.
- Put the people you use most at the top. If the list runs out of time, the calls that matter most are done.
- Split it by group, such as drivers, care or warehouse, so the right consultant rings the right people and nobody is rung twice.
When to ring
Ring early in the week and cover this week and next in the same call. That gives you a picture for the planner before the client calls come in. A short top-up later in the week catches people who did not answer and changes since Monday. Ring at times your temps can talk: drivers on nights will not thank you for a 10am call.
What to ask
- Which days can you work this week? And next week?
- Is that your normal pattern now, or just these weeks?
- Anything changed: phone number, address, transport, a new ticket or course?
- Any document coming up for renewal, such as a CPC deadline, a DBS review or permission to work?
- Any site you would rather not go back to, or one you would like more of?
Keep it short. The point of the call is the days and anything that changes who you can place where. Write down what they say as they say it.
Record every outcome
| Outcome | What to record | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Done | Days free or off for this week and next, any notes | Mark them checked for the week |
| No answer | The attempt, with the date | Leave them on the list for a later try |
| Skip | Nothing | Come back to them later today |
| Pattern changed | Save the new usual week | Future weeks start from it |
| No longer working with you | A note of why | Mark them inactive so they leave the list |
Record when each person was last checked. Someone who has gone three weeks without a successful call needs a different approach, perhaps a text asking them to ring you, or a note to their record.
Share it across the team
Two consultants ringing the same temp wastes time and looks disorganised. Split the list by group or by name, and make sure each call is marked as soon as it ends, so everyone sees the same list. When one consultant is off, the list should not live in their notebook.
Before you book anyone from the results, remember the Conduct Regulations require you to confirm the temp is willing to work in that particular role. Availability is a good start, not a booking.
Phone or text?
A text to everyone is quicker to send. The call is slower but tells you more: the van in the garage, the free Saturday, the course starting next month. A sensible middle way is to keep the call for your regulars and use texts for people you cannot reach.
Tempbench, the CRM for UK temp agencies, builds the ring round list for you: everyone not checked this week, most-used first, filtered by group. Tap to call, set this week and next, add a note, then press Done, No answer or Skip, and each person shows when they were last checked. The list resets every Monday. It does not send texts or dial automatically; calls go through your own phone.
Questions people ask
What is a ring round in recruitment?
A ring round is a set of calls to the temps on your books to check which days they can work, usually done weekly. Agencies also use the term for ringing round to fill one urgent shift. The weekly version keeps availability current, so urgent fills are faster because you already know who is free.
How long should a ring round call take?
As short as you can make it while still getting this week, next week and anything that has changed. The aim is the days they can work, a quick check on documents and transport, and a note of anything new. Longer conversations are worth having, just not on every call every week.
Who should be left off the ring round?
People you are not working with right now, such as those marked inactive, and anyone flagged do not use. Also leave out anyone already checked this week. Keeping the list to the active bench means the calls that matter get made, and nobody is rung twice in the same week.
Can temps reply to a ring round by text instead?
Some agencies let them, and it can save time with people who never answer the phone. The risk is answers scattered across message threads that never reach the record. If you accept texts, copy each answer onto the person's week straight away so the whole desk sees it.
Sources
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