Recruiter

Table of Contents

• What is a recruiter?
• Do recruiters actually find candidates jobs?
• Is recruiting a good career?
• Questions to ask a recruiter
• Types of recruiters
• Recruiter vs Headhunter vs Hiring Manager

What is a recruiter?

A recruiter finds qualified candidates for a job opening and works to meet the demands of both the employer and the employee throughout the hiring process. The recruiter owns the end-to-end process of talent acquisition. Some of the key responsibilities of the recruiter include:

• Meeting with the hiring manager after the organization opens new job requisition
• Attracting and sourcing candidates, pre-screening and presenting qualified job candidates to the hiring manager
• Serving as the employee brand ambassador, while internally and externally soliciting employee referrals
• Serving as the main point of contact for all parties throughout the collaborative hiring process
• Conducting reference checks and background checks
• Managing the job offer process
• Delivering an exceptional candidate experience
• Participate in employee onboarding to ensure the new hire is prepared to begin work.

The recruiter is often relied on to keep the transactional steps of the talent acquisition process moving smoothly, but a successful recruiter also takes focuses on building relationships with candidates and hiring managers alike. 

Ultimately, recruiters help people find jobs. However, they can also help candidates hone their résumés, prepare for interviews, and manage salary negotiations.

Do recruiters actually find candidates jobs?

Not exactly. Recruiters do not make hiring decisions. That is the responsibility of the hiring manager. Furthermore, recruiters are paid by, and therefore work for the organization looking to fill a job opening. Recruiters, in other words, do not work for candidates. Their job, therefore, is to help an organization fill a vacancy not to help you find a job.

Is recruiting a good career?

Absolutely, for the right person. Recruiters tend to have distinct personalities. They are usually ambitious, assertive, extroverted, energetic, enthusiastic, and confident. They are also highly persuasive and self-motivated. motivational.

If you feel you possess many of the qualities common among recruiters, you should also consider the work environment their career entails. Some recruiters work for an employment agency in a traditional office setting where job candidates can visit. Other recruiters work for a broker, which means the agency they work for represents multiple recruitment agencies. On the other hand, recruiters that work for executive search firms often attend trade shows, college job fairs and other meetings to find potential candidates.

Questions to ask a recruiter

If you end up working with a recruiter while searching for your next job, here are some important questions to ask them to ensure that relationship benefits your needs as much as possible:

• How long have you been recruiting in this industry? What about with your current firm?
• What is your recruiting specialty?
• Why do you think I’m a fit for the job we’re discussing?
• What are some of the biggest challenges [the organization in question] is facing right now?
• What can you tell me about the backgrounds of the other people in the applicant pool?
• How many people with my background have you helped place in the last several months?
• Can I speak with some of your previous clients to ask them about their experience?

Types of recruiters

There are many types of recruiters. The important thing to remember, however, is that they all fall into one of two categories--internal and external.

Internal, or in-house, recruiters are employed by the organization they represent. Internal recruiters recruit only for the organization they work for, but their recruiting responsibilities may vary. Some in-house recruiters may recruit for the entire organization. Others, especially in large firms, may recruit for specific parts of it. Internal recruiters typically are paid by salary.

External, or agency, recruiters work independently as headhunters, search consultants, or sourcers, depending on how they are paid. External recruiters work for staffing firms and agencies that help many different companies fill job vacancies.

External recruiters often specialize in a geographic area, profession, industry, job level (e.g. executives), or a combination of several of these. Some firms, called temp agencies, specialize in finding workers to fill short-term employment needs.

Recruiter vs Headhunter vs Hiring Manager

Headhunters are professional Recruiters that can work solo or for a staffing agency. They are, in other words, external recruiters who bring candidates to the attention of internal recruiters or organizations looking to fill job openings. Recruiters usually work for one company as internal recruiters

Regarding hiring managers, the recruiters job is to build a strong pool of candidates for hiring managers to choose from. They also train hiring managers on interviewing techniques and keep them on track throughout the hiring process. Recruiters also often recommend and implement effective assessment methods that help evaluate candidates. Hiring managers evaluate the candidate pool, choose the best candidate and, if necessary, ask the recruiter for more candidates. Read more about hiring managers here.

To borrow a food analogy: headhunters sell groceries, recruiters buy the groceries, and hiring managers cook the meal.