Sample Recruiter job description and interview questions

August 15, 2023

Recruiting is a major pain point for many businesses. Small businesses often struggle to compete for top talent against large businesses with greater recruiting resources. Large organizations work to bring in enough talent while keeping the cost of recruiting down. That’s why it’s important to have a great recruiter or recruiting team to help your business reach and attract the right candidates.

If you’re looking to hire a Recruiter to help you hire the best talent, read on to explore this sample Recruiter job description to learn about the key recruiter responsibilities and required qualifications. We’ve also listed out several useful questions to ask Recruiter candidates during job interviews.

What is a Recruiter?

A Recruiter is an employee that helps your business find the best candidates. They play an important role in ensuring that new hires not only fit the job requirements of each role, but also are the right cultural fit for the organization. Recruiters create and share job postings for open roles, review resumes as they come in, and conduct screenings to find top candidates. They also maintain an active candidate pipeline for the company to help fill future needs. Recruiters also contribute to the development and implementation of ongoing recruiting strategies and employer branding efforts.

Recruiter Job Description Template

Overview

We are seeking a personable and knowledgeable Recruiter to join our team. The Recruiter will source and screen candidates for a variety of technical and non-technical roles throughout the organization. They will work closely with internal hiring managers to identify key job responsibilities and qualifications for open roles and find the best talent match for each position. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, have excellent communication skills, and have prior recruiting experience.

Job Responsibilities

Analyze current hiring needs and project future needs.
Build a recruiting strategy to address hiring needs and improve internal recruiting processes.
Work with department managers to create clear, specific job postings for open roles.
Source candidates to fill job openings by utilizing job boards, social media, hiring events, and varying recruiting avenues.
Review resumes and job applications as they come in, then rate candidates within the company’s applicant tracking system.
Encourage and incentivize employee referrals for open positions.
Utilize social media sites like LinkedIn to reach passive potential candidates.
Work with hiring managers to identify the most qualified candidates to move on to the interview process.
Maintain prompt communication throughout all stages of the recruiting process to keep job seekers engaged.
Conduct phone screenings and interviews with selected candidates.
Conduct reference checks on potential hires.
Create and send out offer letters once approved by the hiring manager.
Check in with the new hire throughout the onboarding period.
Maintain an active pipeline for future openings.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in business administration, human resource management, or a related field.
Two to three years of experience in talent acquisition or human resources.
Excellent interpersonal skills and decision-making skills.

Must be knowledgeable on current employment laws and regulations impacting recruiting.
Ability to create and implement new recruiting strategies for the company.
Prior experience using ATS programs and LinkedIn Recruiter.

Recruiter Interview Questions

Here are some helpful questions to ask when interviewing candidates for a Recruiter role.

What do you do to create a positive candidate experience?

One of the most important job duties for a recruiter is providing a positive candidate experience. Even if someone isn’t hired for the role, you still want them to come out of the recruiting process with a positive impression of the company.

Each recruiter will have their own personalized response to this question, but one thing to listen for in particular is how they approach candidate communication. Poor communication is one of the biggest frustrations for candidates and an easy way to leave a bad impression. The recruiter should be maintaining ongoing communication regarding any delays in the recruiting process and provide a respectful and timely response to candidates that are not moved forward.

What types of roles have you recruited for in the past?

Many recruiters, particularly those who have primarily worked for smaller companies, are generalists who will recruit for any open role. However, there are some recruiters that specialize in certain job types or some industries that require specialized skill sets from recruiters. Some common specializations include technical recruiting and healthcare recruiting. You’ll typically want to hire a recruiter with experience recruiting for roles similar to the ones that they would be filling for your business, particularly if those roles are more technical or specialized.

What recruiting software programs have you used in past roles? What did you like about those programs?

Recruiters need to be fairly tech-savvy. They should be proficient in recruiting software such as applicant tracking systems (ATS), social media recruiting tools like LinkedIn Recruiter, and HR software such as human resources information systems (HRIS). Some employers prefer candidates with experience using the specific tools that their business uses. On the other hand, small businesses without proper recruiting software in place may want someone that is knowledgeable in several programs and can accurately compare and contrast software offerings to help the business choose the best option to implement.

What do you find most rewarding about working as a Recruiter?

The most skilled and successful Recruiters typically find their roles highly rewarding. For most recruiter candidates, the most rewarding part will be helping candidates find new roles where they can succeed. Expect to hear responses such as finding the perfect fit for an open role, giving candidates a job offer that they’re excited about, or seeing a candidate thrive in their new role. It’s important that the recruiter candidate’s response feels authentic, as you do want to hire someone that enjoys working with candidates and helping to place people into well-fitting roles.

How do you stay up to date on employment laws and trends in the recruiting field?

While many employers consider employment law compliance to be the primary duty of the HR Manager, the recruiting team also needs to be knowledgeable and up-to-date on relevant laws and regulations. There are a number of important non-discrimination laws that recruiters need to be aware of, including local laws such as Fair Chance ordinances. Good ways to stay up to date include attending annual webinars or training courses on legal compliance updates, researching applicable laws before recruiting in a new region, subscribing to industry newsletters, or maintaining membership in professional organizations that provide compliance updates to members.

How do you measure your success?

There are a number of different metrics that Recruiters may use to measure the success of their recruiting efforts. They may look at time-to-hire metrics to understand how long the recruiting lifecycle is taking. Ideally, the candidate would use this data to look for opportunities to streamline the recruiting and hiring process. Other measurements of success may be how new employees do in their new roles and the retention rate for new hires.

Some recruiters also solicit candidate feedback directly or look at drop-off rates throughout the hiring process to see where candidates are losing interest in moving forward with roles. A combination of tactics is typically most effective. It’s important that the candidate is able to explain their personal process for tracking outcomes and measuring success, as you do want a recruiter that is going to continually work to improve their recruiting process.