What Do Recruiters Do?

Recruiters are the connection between employers and employees. Their job is to find qualified candidates for job vacancies. Recruiters fit under the Human Resources field. Besides helping people find jobs, they can assist in improving applications, guiding interviews, and making salary negotiations. For organizations, recruiters are dedicated to finding quality candidates to fit the company culture.

Recruiters may work in HR for a company hiring staff within that company. They can also work for an agency filling positions on behalf of others. They are useful to both job seekers, and organizations with vacancies.

Responsibilities of a Recruiter

Recruiters have complex jobs. They are involved in the hiring process from start to finish. They not only attract and screen applicants, but they also determine who fits the company they're representing. On any one day, a recruiter might be posting about a job, screening applicants, attending a job fair, scheduling interviews, and meeting with hiring managers.

Recruiters must advertise job listings for vacant positions. They then review applicants and their resumes to determine worthwhile interviews. By liaising with hiring managers, recruiters identify skills, personality traits, and experience necessary for a position. They also need to always be familiar with industry trends so they know what skills to look out for. In other words, a recruiter's responsibilities aren't as straightforward as just filling a vacant position.

Recruiters for Job Seekers

As a job seeker, it can be beneficial to work with a recruiter. With a wide network, recruiters can introduce you to opportunities you might otherwise not know of. They often know about unlisted job vacancies. They also act as your guide and representative.

But, be careful with your expectations. Recruiters work for their companies and have no obligation to provide coaching just because you want it. Recruiters represent the company, not the job searcher. If you want a Recruiter's help, carefully consider what's in it for them.

Like any relationship, it requires reciprocal actions. Generally speaking, you have more to get from a recruiter than they have to get from you. That means you will have to work hard to make it worth the recruiter's time to work with you.

Recruiters benefit from finding successful candidates for employers. After all, it is how they make their income. When they look at a resume, they don't just take it at face value. They can read between the lines and find prospects within candidates that may not be immediately obvious. They make their assessment by asking specific questions and assigning small tasks. Recruiters can then suggest how to improve your resume or prepare for an interview before you're put in front of a hiring manager.

As they are familiar with the company culture they represent, recruiters will figure out what is important to a candidate to ensure compatibility. They won't suggest a job unless it fits the applicant. They can then represent you to a hiring manager. This gives the manager a reason to give you a chance before you even start to sell yourself.

Even if you don't get the job, they may suggest an alternative. Recruiters have a wide web of networks. It's worth a big investment of time to get a recruiter in your corner. But, again, they do not owe you anything and they are always really busy. Paying attention to you means not paying attention to something else.

Recruiters for Companies & Organizations

Recruiters are essential for companies and organizations. They act as ambassadors. They are responsible for interacting with candidates and offering a quality experience to keep the company image positive.

As mentioned, successful candidates mean happy clients and more income. Recruiters are dedicated to finding quality applicants. They become familiar with the company culture and vision to ensure they fill the positions with appropriate matches. With intentional alignment, they can narrow in on candidates who will have higher satisfaction and inevitably reduce turnover rates.

Recruiters know where to advertise jobs and how to market the vacancy to the right people. They're also familiar with online trends. As they do most of the advertising and screening themselves, this saves hiring managers a lot of time.

How to Identify a Good Recruiter

A good recruiter is an all-rounder. They must have various qualities to be able to connect employers to appropriate candidates and vice versa.

• Strong people skills - a great recruiter will have clear communication, a willingness to answer questions informatively, and avoid conflicts with hiring managers by understanding their desires.
• High standards - they won't just hire anyone for a position to fill the vacancy. A valuable recruiter will play matchmaker AND forecast an organization's needs. This means that if they determine that you are not a fit, there's not much recourse.
• Strong industry knowledge - they will know where to look for candidates and what up-to-date, industry-related skills are necessary.
• Honestly helpful - good recruiters need to be compassionate towards both a company and a candidate. They will do their best to understand the needs of both and show sympathy to rejected applicants.
• Soft rejections - the best recruiters will inform candidates of rejections but personalize the message to identify their strengths and encourage them to continue their job search.

Recruiters are essential in job searching. Whether you're the hiring company with job vacancies, or the applicant looking for work, recruiters will support the journey. They multitask and complete a variety of responsibilities to successfully match candidates with complementary companies.