The Ultimate Guide To The Duties of The Recruiter
February 5, 2020
Synne Linden
The recruiter is arguably one of the most important roles in any given company. That’s because the recruiter, who is often referred to as a technical specialist or HR specialist, is in charge of finding, obtaining and keeping the right human capital for a business.
A high-performance workforce and clearly defined company goals go hand in hand, and are essential to long-term growth and success.
What do recruiters do?

The main responsibilities of the recruiter are:

  • To know what the company you’re recruiting for needs in terms of staff
  • To find this staff through an effective recruitment process
  • To evaluate the skills and knowledge of each applicant mindfully
  • To ensure that new employees are given the necessary tools to succeed in their position
  • To promote the business as a good place to work in
  • To serve as an advocate for applicants and new employees

In this guide, we’re going to take a closer look at each of these responsibilities, and what your work tasks will be if you pursue a career in recruitment.

Educational and personal requirements to become a recruiter

Let’s begin by going through what requirements you’ll meet when you start looking for positions in the HR recruitment field. The responsibilities of the recruiter will vary from company to company, but generally speaking, you’ll come across the same educational and personal skill requirements in most job ads.

What should you study to work in recruitment?

The position of recruiter falls under the HR department, and is considered a specialist field. Many of these jobs are also offered in medium-to-large companies, meaning you’ll likely be in charge of, and head, a fairly large - and crucial - aspect of human resources. Because of this you’ll need, at least, a bachelor’s degree in HR to be able to take on the professional responsibilities of the recruiter role.

In the States, that translates to a four-year degree, which comprises the disciplines of human resources in thorough detail. Even though you’ll be working at the recruitment stage of HR, it will be important for you to have knowledge of the entire field. That way, you will be able to collaborate more effectively with department managers and understand company needs to a greater extent.

Your personal communication skills as a human resources specialist

In addition to the right degree, you’ll need a fairly specific set of personal traits to work as a recruiter - or rather, a specifically broad set. The recruitment process in any given company is complicated, because it deals with individuals in relation to company needs. That also means that the person in charge of these systems (you) will have to be mindful of them, from both the objective and the subjective perspectives.
On the one hand, you’ll be dealing with the exact role description of what the company needs - on the other, you’ll be dealing with applicants. You have to be organized, have strong social skills, a strong sense of self- reflection, a thorough understanding of overarching business needs, and the ability to combine all of these to function as a valuable recruiter to your employer.

The versatile recruiter job description

The responsibilities of the recruiter are complex and will likely touch on almost every component of the business you’ll be working in. This means you need to be comfortable with a wide range of work tasks, and have a capacity for understanding both the details of the enterprise, as well as how it functions as a whole.

When you start applying for positions, be sure to read the recruiter job description carefully. Since the HR department is so multifaceted, a recruiter will look different from one company to the next. If in doubt, ask the company in question what their expectations are of the selected candidate. In order to succeed with recruitment you’ll need to take on a position that suits your own skills and competencies - as well as your field-specific interests.

A Hubert E-book  Psychometric Testing vs structured interviews  How does the structured interview rack up against testing? And how can  technology enable all candidates to be interviewed in high-volume settings? Download E-book
Understanding the business’ needs

We can divide your responsibilities as a recruiter into three main components. Namely, understanding the business’ needs; finding the right talent to satisfy those needs; and keeping that work force in the company to drive growth. In order to find the right people to hire, though, you first have to gain an understanding of what human resources the company has and is lacking. A good first step is to have a chat with the manager of the HR department.

Anticipating and recognizing challenges in the workforce

The first step in successful recruitment is having a clear idea of which human capital is already working in the business. Parallel to this, the recruiter will be expected to understand how the different departments in the company operate, and the needs of these departments. Finally, you’ll need to match existing human capital with department needs, roadmaps and goals.

The workplace will always be an organic and dynamic environment. Even though you want good talent to stay - and it’s HR’s responsibility to create the incentives for these people to do so - people will inevitably change jobs from time to time. Only when you have a clear oversight of which employees serve which business needs and goals will you be able to close the gaps that open. This should always be the starting point for a sustainable recruitment process.

Which employees does the company need?

As any good recruiter will attest, an employee consists of an array of different components; all factors you should be aware of. There’s the educational perspective, the social perspective, the personal perspective, the cultural perspective, and the loyalty perspective - to mention a few of the things that make up an individual in the workplace. The trick is to find the employees that will thrive in your work environment, while still serving company needs.

In order to succeed with this, a business needs strategies and systems for attracting the right talent. This is one of the most important responsibilities of the recruiter. It means knowing the business you work in well enough to implement the efforts that are necessary to succeed, and goes to show once again how versatile the skillset of a recruiter needs to be.

Responsibilities of the recruiter in the hiring process

As the recruiter in the business, you have an overarching responsibility for how the process is managed in the best possible way. In order to build an accurate basis for good recruitment, you will need to collaborate with internal managers regularly. When you get this partnership right, it’ll be a lot easier to start searching for interesting candidates.

Be prepared to formulate the exact needs of the different departments, and then translating these into an advertisement that attracts strong talent. On top of this, the responsibilities of the recruiter also include setting up the entire recruitment funnel, from marketing to decision-making. If other people than yourself will be involved in the hiring process, you’ll also need to provide these on clear instructions on how to deal with the applicants.

Handling applicants as a mindful recruiter

Understanding the business’ needs is primarily an internal task for any recruiter. Your most important job, though, is hiring the right people. This is where your social skills will come into the picture. In order to handle applicants in a good way, you’ll need to find a communication balance between the internal (the HR needs of the company you work in) and the external (the individuals applying to work there). Check out this post about the responsibilities of the HR-manager to see where the job descriptions overlap.

How to match company needs with the right individuals

There are, literally, billions of workers in the world. A successful recruiter is a person who finds the single most suited individual for the position a business is hiring for. As such, your first step for narrowing down the potential applicants to desired applicants should be the company needs you’ve identified alongside the department managers.

The better the description, the smoother the recruiting funnel will be - and yet this isn’t just about ticking off a checklist. As we saw earlier in this guide, an employee is a complicated and dynamic component of any given company. That’s why the recruiter needs to have an eye for combining both the micro and macro perspectives when matching individuals with companies.

Evaluating applicants’ knowledge and skill sets

Part of this is about evaluating the job seekers' knowledge and skill set. Do they have the right educational background to take on the role? And if not, do they have sufficient work experience to fill in any academic gaps? Is there a genuine interest in the position? Is it likely this person will invest in the company long-term? Do they have the social and analytical skills necessary?

The recruiter is also responsible for evaluating the candidates on a personal and cultural level - which is why having a clear idea of the business that’s hiring is so important. Having the right degree won’t be enough to succeed in the workplace. The candidate will also need to fit into the company culture, ethics and norms. Whether you conduct the interviews or evaluate shortlisted candidates, the responsibility will ultimately be on you to select the right employee.

Using different technologies for talent acquisition

We live in a digital, global community, which means the recruiter is also expected to make the most of technology available to them. AI for recruiters is making rapid advancements, and LinkedIn has grown into a recruitment juggernaut, and is now the world’s biggest professional community. If the company you’re hiring for has a strong social media presence, these are also relevant platforms for recruitment advertising.

To a larger and larger extent, the recruiter will be responsible for networking on a more wide-reaching scale. With the Internet at your fingertips, it’s possible to access a substantially larger applicant pool than before. Companies will expect their recruiters to be on top of current hiring platforms and strategies in order to attract the best human capital.

A Hubert eBook  Psychometric Testing vs structured interviews  How does the structured interview rack up against testing? And how can  technology enable all candidates to be interviewed in high-volume settings? Download eBook
Implementing, maintaining and evaluating best practices for recruiting

So you’ve found the perfect candidate for the department hiring. What happens now? The recruiter’s job doesn’t end when the employee contract is signed. You’ll also be responsible for getting the new talent comfortable in their new positions - and conducting continuous evaluation of the recruiting process.

The responsibilities of the recruiter in onboarding

Onboarding is the process for introducing a new employee to their position and workplace. The goal of a successful onboarding is to:

  • Give the new talent the necessary tools to succeed with their work
  • Include the new talent into the organization
  • Ensure that the employee feels welcome and part of their workplace

The responsibilities of the recruiter include all of the above. That means you’re in charge of implementing and evaluating a successful onboarding.

What this process should look like will vary from company to company. A successful recruiter will be aware of the different signs of a good onboarding, though, and actively seek these out. This can include interviewing both the new employee and existing members of the workforce, and making sure that any kinks are straightened out before they turn into problems.

Figuring out new ways to attain the right talent

We’ve briefly looked at the different platforms available to an executive recruiter today. It’s not just about your communication platform, though - you’ll need to be mindful of how you communicate, too. With globalization and digitalization, the expectations of employees are changing. In other words: A description that worked 10, or 5, or 2 years ago, may not work today.

In addition to this, the potential applicant base has grown exponentially in a very short amount of time. That means your responsibilities as recruiter will include finding the best ways of attaining the right talent. Why should someone stay at your company when there are so many other opportunities out there? How are you going to find the individuals that are passionate about your company culture and values?

Promoting the company as an attractive workplace

The corporate recruiter isn’t just in charge of interviewing and onboarding new talent. You’ll also be expected to promote the company you work for. An attractive workplace will mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Generally speaking, though, the recruiter should work closely with other members of the HR department to develop a benefits program and compensation package that ensures good employees stay.

An important aspect of this will be that you can stand for the open positions that you promote and recruit for. You’ll be more credible, and the company’s workforce will be better for it, when you believe in the benefits and perks of every job you advertise. This circles back to the recruiter job description, and identifying a company to recruit for that you can identify with on a personal level.


FAQs

What are the main responsibilities of the recruiter:

  • To know what the company you’re recruiting for needs in terms of staff
  • To find this staff through an effective recruitment process
  • To evaluate the skills and knowledge of each applicant mindfully
  • To ensure that new employees are given the necessary tools to succeed in their position
  • To promote the business as a good place to work in
  • To serve as an advocate for applicants and new employees

What should you study to work in recruitment?

You’ll at minimum need a bachelor’s degree in HR to take on the professional responsibilities of the recruiter role.

What personal communication skills do you need as a human resources specialist

You have to be organized, have strong social skills, a thorough understanding of overarching business needs, and the ability to combine all of these to function as a valuable recruiter to your employer.

What three components of responsibility does the recruiter have?

Understanding the business’ needs; finding the right talent to satisfy those needs; and keeping that work force in the company to drive growth. In order to find the right people to hire, though, you first have to gain an understanding of what human resources the company has and is lacking.

How does a recruiter anticipate and recognize challenges in the workforce

The first step in successful recruitment is having a clear idea of which human capital is already working in the business. Parallel to this, the recruiter will be expected to understand how the different departments in the company operate, and the needs of these departments. Finally, you’ll need to match existing human capital with department needs, roadmaps and goals.

How does a recruiter identify which employees the company needs?

The trick is to find employees that will thrive in your work environment, while still working hard to serving company needs and goals.

In order to succeed, a business needs a solid strategy and system for attracting the right talent. This is one of the most important responsibilities of the recruiter. It means knowing the business you work in well enough to implement the efforts that are necessary to succeed, and goes to show once again how versatile the skillset of a recruiter needs to be.

What responsibilities does the recruiter have in the hiring process?

You have an overarching responsibility for how the process is managed in the best possible way. In order to build an accurate basis for good recruitment, you will need to collaborate with internal managers regularly. Be prepared to formulate the exact needs of the different departments, and then translating these into an advertisement that attracts strong talent. On top of this, the responsibilities of the recruiter also include setting up the entire recruitment funnel, from marketing to decision-making. If other people than yourself will be

What responsibilities does the recruiter have in onboarding?

  • Give the new talent the necessary tools to succeed with their work
  • Include the new talent into the organization
  • Ensure that the employee feels welcome and part of their workplace
Implementation period
Insight
The Ultimate Guide To The Duties of The Recruiter
February 5, 2020
Synne Linden
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