Recruiter Job Descriptions, Average Salary, Interview Questions

What Does a Recruiter Do?

Recruiters find, screen, and select the best candidates for open positions within an organization. In order to attract and retain top talent, they work closely with hiring managers to understand the needs of the position. Recruiters are responsible for managing the entire recruitment process, including finding candidates, screening them, and conducting interviews.

It is imperative for a recruiter to possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills as well as strong organizational capabilities in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment. Additionally, they should have experience in using a variety of recruiting tools and techniques, as well as a working knowledge of labor laws.

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National Average Salary

Recruiter salaries vary by experience, industry, organization size, and geography. To explore salary ranges by local market, please visit our sister site zengig.com.

The average U.S. salary for a Recruiter is:

$65,200

Recruiter Job Descriptions

When it comes to recruiting a recruiter, having the right job description can make a big difference. Here are some real world job descriptions you can use as templates for your next opening.

Example 1

At [Your Company Name], we have a steady belief in transparent and direct communication. We’re searching for an experienced recruiter to join our team and help us recruit top talent in our region, ensuring our customers and clients are happy. To be considered an ideal candidate for this role, you need to have good interviewing skills and decision-making skills, and have great organization and verbal skills. You should have a knack for seeking people out and analyzing character on the spot. Ideally, you’ll have at least 1-3 years of recruiting experience, or a bachelor’s degree in a related field.

Typical duties and responsibilities

  • Recruit and source different candidates by using social media, databases, job boards etc. 
  • Screen candidates’ job applications to job postings and resume searches
  • Conduct interviews with various candidates to ensure they are the right fit for the job
  • Assess whether candidates have the right soft skills and experience for the position 
  • Act as a liaison for the candidate and the company
  • Build a relationship with candidates in order to create a long-lasting partnership, and get referrals as well 
  • Promote the company, and sell its best features
  • Ensure that the company attracts, hires, and retains the right candidates for the job

Education and experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as human resources or a related field such as business administration is preferred 
  • Some companies will work with a few years of on-the-job experience 
  • Some employers may require professional certifications or on the job training as needed

Required skills and qualifications

  • Must have great interpersonal skills and be extremely organized
  • Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Ability to make good decisions quickly
  • Passionate about networking
  • Must be reliable and punctual

Preferred qualifications

  • Previous experience with recruitment  
  • HR background 
  • Ability to make sound decisions and think critically
  • Adaptable and takes initiative

Example 2

Position overview:

When was the last time you experienced the impact of your work? Our Recruiters thrive on building meaningful relationships with candidates and business partners. With that comes the unique opportunity to touch lives across the world and experience first-hand the difference your hard work makes. We are looking for someone who is highly motivated, and customer focused to join our Talent Acquisition team as a Recruiter. You will be responsible for managing the full cycle recruiting process to include talent outreach, marketing of positions, screening applicants, and building a pipeline of qualified and interested prospects.

Position duties:

  • Sourcing Candidates: Source, qualify, and match candidates to defined profiles and specific open requisitions for our K-12 School division. Create a pool of diverse qualified candidates through creative and traditional sourcing methods
  • Candidate Research: Utilize multiple recruiting sources and execute innovative recruiting strategies. Articulate our Employee Value Proposition so candidates understand our company mission, culture, and values
  • Candidate Experience: Provide a positive candidate experience and ongoing communication regarding status throughout all stages of the recruiting process
  • Hiring Manager Relationships: Build strong relationships with business leaders by gaining a true understanding of our business, products, and markets to ensure we hire the best talent for our business
  • ATS Management: Track candidate information and maintain up-to-date candidate status information in our ATS. Partners with the TA Specialist for record compliance and data accuracy in the ATS

Basic qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
  • Three or more years experience managing full-cycle sourcing, recruiting, hiring processes either in-house or in a professional agency
  • Experience using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
  • Experience using sourcing channels such as an ATS, CRM, social media channels, internet job boards, networking sites, and professional organizations to attract both passive and active job seekers
  • Strong relationship building capabilities with stellar interpersonal and communication skills
  • Excellent organizational capabilities with the ability to prioritize workload and work on multiple projects simultaneously

Preferred qualifications:

  • Knowledge of state and federal employment laws concerning recruitment and hiring practices is preferred

Example 3

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and resource management skills
  • Ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines
  • Ability to interact with individuals in a courteous and professional manner; customer service oriented
  • Demonstrated technical skills; is proficient in Microsoft Office and has working knowledge and experience with an HR system
  • Ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships with hiring managers, identifying personnel needs, and workforce planning strategies
  • Strong knowledge of sourcing, recruiting and onboarding methods, procedures, and practices
  • Knowledge of classification and compensation methods, procedures, and policies
  • Experience coaching and training hiring managers
  • Demonstrated experience with process improvement and best practices
  • Highly functional knowledge of employment regulations specific to the DOL, EEOC, and other relevant state and federal employment law
  • Experience working in a fast-paced, results driven environment
  • Effective multitasking and time management skills with strong attention to detail
  • Ability to handle multiple searches and deliver a high level of service to internal and external customers.

Required education and/or experience

  • Bachelors or professional training program specific to the position and directly related work experience, or a combination of education and experience, which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred qualifications

  • SHRM or PHR certification
  • 3 years recruitment/HR experience
  • Experience with an applicant tracking system

Example 4

Responsibilities

  • Sources technical and non-technical candidates using a variety of recruiting methods, including but not limited to, social networking, professional networking, job boards, College/University networking, cold calling, job fairs, and employee referral programs.
  • Works with Hiring Managers to interview and fill temporary and contract roles
  • Analyzes full-cycle recruitment plans and develops effective recruiting strategy for each open position
  • Partners with Hiring Managers to clarify position requirements, creates recruiting strategy and sets service level agreements
  • Develops unique screening, interview questions, and score cards for each position
  • Schedules interviews with candidates, including but not limited to recruiter telephone interviews, manager telephone interviews, and in-person interviews and final in-person interviews
  • Screens candidates, conducts interviews, then presents top qualified candidates to hiring managers
  • Participates in final interview process to ensure candidates fit the culture of the organization
  • Checks successful candidate’s references
  • Negotiates compensation and extends approved offers to selected candidates
  • Resolves and troubleshoots background check issues
  • Conducts New Hire Orientation and provides tour of building to each new employee
  • Provides frontline support to Hiring Managers on the status of job requisitions including but not limited to, additions to headcount, replacement positions, staff augmentation, statements of work (SOW) and contract roles
  • Creates and maintains a social network presence
  • Develops and maintains relationships with candidates for future positions
  • Participates in meetings and networking events; develops relationships with potential candidates
  • Creates and maintains successful vendor relationships to achieve Company goals
  • Coordinates travel, lodging, and ground transportation for out-of-town candidates
  • Maintains knowledge of legal requirements and regulations affecting recruiting
  • Participates in recruiting tool and agency evaluations
  • Coordinates and maintains Internship programs including but not limited to on-boarding, orientation, mentor introductions, and luncheons
  • Mentors and trains Recruiting Coordinator
  • Collaborates with other business segments within the organization to develop and streamline business processes throughout the Company
  • Stays current on the latest industry technologies, trends, and strategies; brings forward solutions and serves as a Trusted Expert
  • Assists employees, vendors, or other customers by answering questions related to the recruiting processes
  • Completes work in a timely and accurate manner while providing exceptional customer service
  • Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

  • This position requires a minimum of three years progressive recruiting/sourcing experience
  • Ability to develop and execute passive sourcing strategies to creatively attract top talent by using internet sourcing techniques is needed
  • Demonstrated experience providing candidate assessments is necessary
  • Knowledge of social media recruiting is helpful
  • Must have a strong drive for results, critical thinking and be teamwork focused
  • Excellent collaboration and relationship/rapport building skills are required
  • Intermediate level computer experience, including skills in Microsoft Word and Excel is required
  • The ability to work efficiently under pressure, accurately meet deadlines, present a professional demeanor, and work well independently is essential
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate across all levels of the organization; must be able to clearly articulate ideas both verbally and in writing
  • Customer service skills including the ability to manage and respond to different customer situations while maintaining a positive and friendly attitude is essential
  • In addition, troubleshooting, organizational and problem-solving skills with a can-do attitude and the ability to adjust to changing requirements are essential
  • Maintaining confidentiality, treating others with respect and upholding Company values is key

Educational requirements

  • This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in Business or Human Resources or related field or equivalent experience

Candidate Certifications to Look For

  • Certified Professional (CP). This certification requires a certain level of human resources experience to enroll. This exam is made for HR professionals in senior levels who have more strategic roles and work to develop strategies and policies. However, it’s also useful if candidates want to become recruiters. If candidates are members, the program is $375, and if they are not a member the program is $400. 
  • Associate Professional in Human Resources. This is for newcomers in the human resources field, and it can help candidates get their foot in the door of this industry. No experience is required for this exam, candidates need to study and apply for the exam to get this certification. The application fee is $100, and the exam itself is $300. 
  • Professional in Human Resources. This exam is mainly for HR professionals who have many years of experience under their belt. The people receiving this certification typically are in the department of HR that handles laws and regulations that pertain to employment. Candidates must have at least 1 year of experience and their master’s degree, 2 years of experience and their bachelor’s degree, or 4+ years of experience and a high school diploma. The application fee is $100, and the exam itself is $395.

Sample Interview Questions

  • In your experience, how do you find qualified candidates for open positions, and how do you vet them?
  • Have you ever had to navigate a challenging recruitment process, such as a lack of qualified candidates or a high number of applicants?
  • How do you ensure that recruiting strategies align with the organization’s needs? How do you develop and implement them?
  • What are the steps you take to ensure that the recruitment process is fair, equitable, and professional for all candidates?
  • What types of data do you utilize to measure success, and how has this data helped you? 
  • How do you develop long-term relationships with candidates? 
  • In order to ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations, what steps do you take to stay up to date on recruitment and hiring?
  • How did you ensure that a recruitment process you managed was successful?
  • How do you select the best candidates for the position based on your experience conducting interviews?
  • Are you familiar with working with hiring managers to determine the requirements of the position, and how do you ensure that those requirements are met during recruitment?
  • What is your process if a candidate unexpectedly rejects the job offer? 
  • How do you ensure a competitive and fair offer is made when you are negotiating salary and benefits with a candidate?
  • How do you ensure the effectiveness of various recruiting tools and techniques, such as social media, job boards, and employee referrals?
  • Tell me about a time when you failed to fill an open position. 
  • Do you consider yourself to have a specific specialty in terms of positions that you recruit for?
  • What is your typical reference check process?

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