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What does a day in the life of a recruiter look like?

The responsibilities vary each day which makes work fun! Some tasks include:

  • Managing your calendar
  • Checking and answering emails
  • Sorting through resumes
  • Screening candidates & prepping them for interviews
  • Checking recruiting platforms
  • Advertising job openings
  • Collaborating with hiring managers and fellow recruiters
  • And the best part, extending offers!
What are the qualities someone who wants to work as a recruiter should have?

Most recruiters share a combination of hard and soft skills that make them effective at their jobs. They are either innate to the recruiter’s personality or are learned and honed over time. Here are some of the top skills we find important:

  • Being target-driven
  • Confident
  • Having strong communication skills
  • Relationship-building experience
  • Some sales experience
  • Patient
  • Time management skills
  • The ability to multitask
  • Excellent problem solver
  • Technology-savvy
  • The ability to work in a team setting
How do you become a recruiter?

There is no degree in recruiting; therefore, many recruiters come from varying careers and industries. Although an undergraduate degree is not mandatory, it could definitely help catapult you into your recruiter career. To be a recruiter, you must possess or acquire recruiter skills such as sales, communication, time management & problem-solving. Having work experience that directly correlates to those recruiting skills is a value add. There are a number of recruiter certifications that can help you get your foot in the door of a reputable staffing firm. The final step to becoming a recruiter is applying and going through the hiring process. Familiarize yourself with interview questions for recruiters, and get ready to start a very successful and rewarding career!

How much does a recruiter get paid?

A career in recruiting can be very rewarding if you are focused and work hard. A recruiter’s salary varies depending on their industry, location, and line of business (temp/perm). Successful placements will guarantee an increase in income and business, as well as referrals from both candidates and clients. At Ascendo, we want all our recruiters to be successful and experience growth. If you would like more information on salaries, please reach out to our Talent Acquisition team.

What are the most common interview questions a recruiter must answer?
  1. How would you describe your recruiting style?
  2. How can you contribute to the company?
  3. What is the most significant achievement during your career?
  4. What is your process for setting and achieving goals?

Interviewing allows you to learn about the company, its culture, how they do business, and other important details. While it might be a daunting experience for some, preparing ahead of time, doing research, and practicing Q&As will guarantee a successful interview.

What is a recruiter?

A recruiter is responsible for identifying the most qualified talent to fill job openings for businesses and organizations. The recruiter will review resumes, actively solicit candidates through different platforms, conduct interviews, and introduce companies to the candidates during the interview process. Recruiters also help candidates prepare for interviews, assist them with resumes and cover letters, manage salary negotiations, advise clients on employment issues, stay up to date with labor laws, and share market and industry knowledge. In addition, recruiters advertise jobs, build business relationships, and make the best possible matches between candidates and clients.

A recruiter may work for a staffing agency, for an agency placed internally within a client or for a corporation. There are different levels of expertise when working as a recruiter. After a continued career in recruitment, they can shift towards senior and executive roles positions, management, talent acquisition, headhunting, and other roles. The recruiters may work on a contingency or retained basis. Finally, recruiters can work in a number of different areas or industries depending on their level of expertise.

What are the steps to becoming a qualified recruiter?

It is important to understand that recruiters come from all walks of life and varying educational backgrounds and job experiences. Not everyone follows the same approach. However, here are some helpful steps to follow if you have decided to pursue a recruiting career:

  • Step 1: Earn a degree (not required but very helpful)
  • Step 2: Possess or gain essential skills such as communication, time-management, problem-solving, sales, etc.
  • Step 3: Gain relevant experience within the field you’d like to recruit in
  • Step 4: Obtain certifications that will boost your resume
  • Step 5: Start building your professional network
  • Step 6: Apply to recruitment positions at Ascendo Resources
What are the main types of recruiters?
  • Corporate Recruiters – Work for a company and are paid a salary and benefits just like any other employee. They have titles like “HR Manager” or “Hiring Manager.”
  • In-house Recruiters – Are full-time employees who work for a company’s HR department and are focused entirely on onboarding new employees instead of using an external agency.
  • Contingency Recruiters – Work for an agency that pays them once their candidate gets hired.
  • Retained Recruiter – Work for an agency that gets an initial retainer fee from the client up-front. They usually place higher-level positions.
  • Staffing Agency (Temp/Contract) – Work for a staffing agency filling vacant positions with temporary employees. The contract employee is employed by the staffing agency, and they pay their wages and benefits.
  • Headhunters – Use multiple sources to find candidates and often hire “passive candidates.” If the candidate is hired, they get a percentage of their salary.
  • Outplacement Recruiter – They provide career counseling, resume writing, and job hunting assistance to employees who have lost their jobs due to downsizing.
  • Executive recruiter – Specialize in finding and placing executive personnel for high-level roles.
What are the areas of recruitment that Ascendo specializes in?
  • Accounting & Finance – Placing professionals in accounting, finance, and tax positions.
  • Financial Services – Placing professionals in private banking and wealth management, retail and consumer banking, banking operations, investment and commercial banking, corporate finance, and hedge fund positions.
  • Compliance & Risk – Placing professionals in BSA, AML, KYC compliance, and risk positions.
  • Healthcare/Pharmaceutical – Placing a wide range of healthcare professionals ranging from physicians to pharmacists, registered nurses (RNs), travel nurses, nurse practitioners, and much more.
  • Legal – Placing candidates to fill a variety of legal jobs like attorneys, lawyers, and paralegals. We also specialize in recruiting for a specific area of law, such as corporate law.
  • Information Technology (IT) – Placing professionals in web and application development, technical support, and management positions. We identify people with technology skills, such as coding, data analytics, and development.
  • Human Resources (HR) – Placing professionals in HR, payroll, corporate recruiting, and compensation and benefits positions.
  • Management & Administrative – Placing professionals in clerical, office manager, receptionist, administrative, and customer service positions.
What are similar job titles to a recruiter?

The term recruiter has its own negative connotations. That’s why many staffing firms have shifted from naming their sales staff “recruiters” and branding their recruitment employees with more holistic job titles such as:

  • Career Consultant
  • Career Advisor
  • Assignment Coordinator
  • Placement Coordinator
  • Career Development Strategist
  • Personnel Agent
  • Personnel Officer
  • Human Resources Officer
  • Employment Consultant
  • Labor Force Advisor
  • Personnel Agent
  • Personnel Management Specialist
  • Placement Consultant
  • Candidate Attraction Specialist
  • Talent Officer
  • Talent Coordinator
  • Workforce Specialist
  • Talent Selection Agent
  • Sourcing Consultant
  • Talent Consultant
  • Sourcing Specialist
  • Sourcing Advisor
  • Talent Acquisition Consultant
  • Staff Placement Officer
  • Staffing Consultant
  • Staffing Advisor
  • Recruitment Professional

At Ascendo, we have the following titles within our recruiting team:

  • Executive Recruiter
  • Senior Executive Recruiter
  • Business Development Manager
  • Recruitment Manager
  • Managing Director
  • Talent Acquisition Manager
  • Staffing Coordinator
  • Recruiting Coordinator
What is the work environment of a recruiter?

Recruiters usually divide their work hours among several locations. They research and communicate with candidates and companies while working at desks in office settings. However, they also travel to seek candidates at job fairs and networking events. They go out to meet with companies to interview potential applicants. Generally, most recruiters work full-time during regular business hours (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), although they are flexible with their time to accommodate candidates, clients, and special events. Given the great deal of collaboration with colleagues that’s involved, recruiting offices tend to be an open floor plan, often referred to as a “bullpen.” Offices also have conference areas and meeting rooms to accommodate and give privacy to visitors. Although recruiters have historically worked in office settings, for the most part, technology has made it possible for many to work from home.

Can a recruiter work from home as a remote/virtual recruiter?

With the ability to do most of today’s recruiting tasks via the internet and phone, recruiters now can work remotely as virtual recruiters. Depending on the recruiter's organization, some recruiters may be partially in the office and partially working from home or fully remote.

As of the onset of the 2020 pandemic, remote work has become more widespread and accepted. As long as recruiters have the technology, self-motivation, and skills required to work from home, many companies may be okay with this arrangement.

Questions?

Get in touch with an Ascendo representative to see how we can help you take your career to the next level.

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