what is a recruiter?
As a recruiter, you collaborate with managers and identify future hiring needs. You use employee referrals, social media networks, and internet searches to attract clients. Your academic HR (Human Resources) background makes you ideal for assessing, screening, and interviewing clients.
attract the best talent
As a recruiter, you attract and keep the best talent for your company. You help your organization grow a strong talent pipeline. To do this, you create recruitment strategies and then work to implement them. Your employer needs you to update job descriptions and specifications as they change. The task analysis you do gets used to analyze job requirements and objectives.
You prepare recruitment material and use newspapers, job boards, and colleges to find new candidates. As you screen and interview these candidates, you filter out those who do not qualify for the job and identify the best talent for your organization.
help people start their position
Your responsibilities go beyond attracting new talent. You are a critical part of your organization’s onboarding and integration process. Your work with HR improves and monitors HR recruiting practices. They rely on your recruiting reports and analytical documents.
You act as a liaison between potential candidates and the company. Your goal is to build relationships throughout the selection process. Your organization looks to you to promote the company. You promote your organization as the best place for quality candidates to work.
Would working as a recruiter suit your interest? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a recruiter role.
recruiter jobs near youaverage recruiter salary
Would you like to know what a recruiter earns? Where the highest salaries are paid for a recruiter? Then check out this recruiter salary page and find out all about the salary of a recruiter in the USA.
types of recruiter
Recruiters fall into different types: corporate recruiters, retained recruiters, contingency recruiters, outplacement recruiters, and staffing agency recruiters.
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corporate recruiter
If you are a corporate recruiter, you work within a large company, like Microsoft or Google, on a full-time salary. You are responsible for sourcing and screening candidates for job openings within the company. Corporate recruiters are more hands-on than other types of recruiters since they work for the company.
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contingency recruiter
As a contingency recruiter, you get paid when you find the right candidate for your client. You work as a middleman between the company and the client. Your clients can range from large enterprises to small companies.
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retained recruiter
Working as a retained recruiter means you look for candidates for senior roles in a company. Part of your payment is upfront. You receive the rest when you find the right candidate.
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outplacement recruiters
As an outplacement recruiter, you help employees who have been let go from their job. Companies use you to help ex-employees transition into their new positions.
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staffing agency recruiter
You hire employees for a staffing agency as a staffing agency recruiter. The staffing agency is a go-between between the company and the workers.
working as a recruiter
As a recruiter, you help people get ready for interviews. You show them how to create resumes and cover letters and teach them how to act in an interview. You interview clients and instruct them on labor laws and basic industry knowledge.
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recruiter job description
As a recruiter, your job is to help businesses or organizations find people to fill job openings. You look at resumes to find qualified people for the job or search for candidates. You review their job experience and talk to them to see if they are a good fit for the job. You help them prepare for job interviews and negotiate how much they should get paid if they get the job.
You might work for a staffing agency, with a client, or in corporate recruitment agency. You get paid by commission or retainer. People go to you looking for job vacancies, or you may have to go out and find them yourself.
You need to stay current on the rules for working and know a lot about different industries and the job market.
Being a recruiter is not always predictable. Some days you have interviews back-to-back, and other days you visit clients. Some days you spend your time researching and screening candidates. You never know what to expect daily, as new jobs can come in. You have to be ready to adapt and organize as things come up.
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recruiter work environment
As a recruiter, you work in different places. Some days you work in an office where you do research and talk to candidates and business people. On other days, you travel to job fairs and different companies or interview people. If you go to job fairs, you usually work in big rooms, like conference centers or college campuses. When you meet with companies or candidates, however, you typically work in an office.
Virtual recruiters work from home because most recruiting happens online nowadays. Job candidates put their information on social media platforms and job boards. As a remote recruiter, you search these websites to find people matching your client's requirements. You screen candidates over the phone.
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who are your colleagues?
As a recruiter, you work for the hiring company. Although you interact with candidates, the hiring company or employer pays your recruitment fees. You make decisions in the best interests of the employer and the candidate. However, at the end of the day, the client is the one looking to fill the vacant position. You primarily interact with managers, the HR department, and business owners.
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work schedule
You will work at least 40 hours a week as a recruiter. However, not all hours are equal. You need to make the most out of your employer's marketing efforts by cold-calling when you are most likely to make a positive connection based on research. Recruiters spend about 60% of their time on the phone each week. You may often need to multitask and work overtime to complete your weekly tasks. The high phone call volume also means you need to work effectively to meet your goals. You may need to work overtime. As a recruiter, you can get hired to work part-time. You adjust your work schedule to your client's and potential hires' needs.
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job outlook for recruiters
Experts predict the human resource field will grow by 8% from 2021 to 2031, which is faster than average. This prediction means there should be about 81,900 job openings for human resources specialists each year over the decade, many of which result from workers transferring to different jobs or retiring.
Employers will likely continue outsourcing human resources functions to organizations that provide these services, but human resources generalists must still manage complex employment laws and benefit options.
In November 2021, there were over 206,000 available corporate recruiter positions. Most of these positions, around 38,000 or 18% of the total, are in the professional, scientific, and technical services industries. Another 21,000 openings, or 10% of the total, were in transportation and warehousing recruitment positions.
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benefits of working for randstad as a recruiter
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a recruiter is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
recruiter skills and education
Successful recruiters come from different educational backgrounds, with degrees in fields like psychology, business, sociology, human resources, and marketing. But what they all have in common is the study of human behavior. In order to be a great recruiter, it is important to understand how people fit into different roles.
You can learn people skills from everyday interactions, but learning from formal and informal sources is also essential. Taking advantage of both types of learning will benefit your career as a recruiter.
skills and competencies
- attention to detail: You work with a small talent pool. You need to remember details. This includes the people you have talked to, their willingness to change jobs, and their current position.
- marketing skills: Your success depends on sticking out and finding talent quickly. There are more job positions than there are applicants. You sell the position and the company.
- communication skills: You link the candidate and the company. The impression you make can attract or discourage candidates from applying.
- relationship-building skills: This is key to building rapport. You nurture relationships between candidates and the company. You advocate for both sides, creating positive candidate experiences.
- multitasking: You screen applicants, conduct interviews, run background checks, and consult with current employers. The better you do multiple things at once and excel at them, the better you will do in this role.
- confidence and the ability to listen: You are hiring others for a role for which you have no experience. Your confidence in your skills lets you find the best person for the job.
FAQs about working as a recruiter
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about recruiters.
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what is e-recruitment?
You can use the internet and technology to find and hire people for jobs. Some ways to do e-recruitment include searching for candidates on social media, using special software to keep track of applications, and interviewing people online with video chat. These methods are different from traditional ways of hiring, like putting job ads in newspapers or going to job fairs to meet potential employees in person.
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what's an in-house technical recruiter vs. a general recruiter?
Technical recruiters focus on finding people for tech jobs, and they know a lot about the skills and qualities needed for these roles. General recruiters can help you find people for many different types of jobs but don't specialize in tech. If you work with a tech company, choosing a technical recruiter is better because they understand your industry.
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how long does it take to become a recruiter?
You generally need five years of professional experience to become a recruiter. During this time, you will learn recruiter skills. This time does not factor in any formal education. If you include formal education, such as getting a bachelor's degree, it can take up to 10 years to become a recruiter.
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is a recruiter a good job?
Yes. You can make good money and enjoy a work-life balance. Recruiting is a satisfying career with potential growth opportunities. The skills mastered as a recruiter benefit you throughout your career. As a recruiter, you have the potential to earn a high salary with relatively little education or experience. Your salary includes base pay and bonuses. Recruiters have the freedom to make their own schedules. This is perfect for motivated people who enjoy responsibility.
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what are the pros and cons of being a recruiter?
One pro is the ability to connect a person with employers, thereby shaping the future of the workforce. Working on commission, high-pressure, and inconsistent hours can be challenging for some. However, if you have the right personality, there are many more pros to working as a recruiter than cons.
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how do I find a job as a recruiter?
Applying for a recruiter job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our recruiter jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!