OVERVIEW
What Is a Recruiting Specialist?
A recruitment specialist is a quick and well-informed HR professional, who has their finger on the pulse of all things “hiring.” They know the hiring trends for their industry, with an intimate knowledge of competitive compensation packages, recruitment tactics, and what it takes to find and retain top talent.
Recruiting specialists work within the HR team. At a recruiting agency or an organization with vast recruitment needs, recruiting may have its own department under the organization’s umbrella. They have an intimate knowledge of the HR structure of a business.
RESPONSIBILITIES
What Does a Recruiting Specialist Do?
Recruitment specialists help organizations find the right person for a particular role. They work to fill staff vacancies by researching potential contacts, interviewing candidates, and building a network of top-tier talent within their industry.
Recruitment specialist responsibilities can vary based on their chosen industry and organization. College recruitment specialists, for example, may have opportunities for travel as they visit universities on behalf of an organization and hire for mainly entry-level roles. Recruitment specialists who work for a recruiting agency may focus on a specific industry, allowing them to work with lots of different companies and gain knowledge of multiple organizational structures.
Regardless of workplace or industry path, some common tasks will remain consistent, such as:
- Researching and identifying candidate.: Recruitment specialists monitor an organization’s vacancies and work to fill them by identifying potential employees in the industry. They utilize hiring sites like LinkedIn and Indeed to explore talent, as well as internal networking databases. They keep a sharp eye on key players in their industry and are always aware of top talent, and any vacancies in the market.
- Managing interview screenings. A recruitment specialist is often the first point of contact between an organization and a potential hire. They have a strong knowledge of the hiring requirements for each position and are the effective mouthpiece for what the company wants. They will typically conduct a screening interview and ask important baseline questions that assess a candidate’s fit for the role. They then make recommendations to the hiring manager for further interviews.
- Organizing job listings. Recruitment specialists manage all job listings and monitor incoming applications via job boards and websites. They have a deep knowledge of the requirements for each position and use their communication skills to write interesting listings that encourage applicants to apply.
- Managing recruitment activities. Recruitment specialists may find themselves needing to go beyond the computer screen and organize job fairs, campus recruitment events, and more. These types of events can be highly effective as it’s common to conduct in-person interviews at the same time.
Where Do Recruiting Specialists Work?
Recruiting specialists can work anywhere and in any industry. Many find positions within recruitment agencies, while others work in-house at large organizations that have their own recruitment teams. This is typical in professional, scientific, and technical services industries, which have large field teams with frequent turnover, such as engineering, sales, customer service, etc.
EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES
What Education Does a Recruiting Specialist Need?
Typically, recruiting specialists hold a bachelor’s degree in a human resources-related field and have entry-level recruitment experience, an internship, or degree training opportunity. A human resource management degree encompasses coursework like business management, accounting, psychology, industrial relations, and more, ensuring students have the business understanding to confidently enter an HR department. This degree also allows room for students to take specific courses catered to their HR field of interest.
Almost all recruiting specialists hold a bachelor’s degree in a human resources-related field. A human resource management focused bachelor of science in business administration covers coursework in business, management, human resources, and recruitment.
Best Degrees for a Recruiting Specialist
Business
Human Resource Management – B.S. Business Administration
A SHRM-recognized online business degree program:...
A SHRM-recognized online business degree program:
- Time: 65% of graduates finish within 24 months.
- Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 41 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include:
- Agile project management
- Employment and labor laws
- Recruiting strategies
- HR technology
- DE&I understanding
Earn your B.S. in Human Resources and help build strong organizations.
Business
Human Resource Management – M.S.
A SHRM-recognized master's degree in human resource management...
A SHRM-recognized master's degree in human resource management
- Time: 61% of graduates finish this program within 18 months.
- Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
- Courses: 10 total courses in this program
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program include:
- Performance Management
- Communication
- Management
- Planning
- Talent Acquisition
- Human Resource Information System (HRIS)
Earn your M.S. in Human Resources and help companies create excellent cultures.
How Much Does a Recruiting Specialist Make?
$72,799
According to Glassdoor, the average annual base salary as of December 2021 for a recruiting specialist in the United States was $72,799 Many recruiting specialists are offered competitive bonuses and incentive packages based on their hiring numbers, retention, and additional recruitment data relevant to their industry.
Specialists see growth in their base pay as they find success in their role, increase their number of retained hires, and work towards managerial positions.
What Is the Projected Job Growth?
10%
The job outlook for human resource specialists overall is projected to grow around 10% from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is faster than the national average for all occupations.
Recruiters can expect a surge of opportunities as companies in all industries work to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. Expect a boost in hiring and a need for talented recruiters to help fill key positions.
Woman in boardroom
SKILLS
What Skills Does a Recruiting Specialist Need?
If you are interested in pursuing a recruiting specialist role, it is important to have a basic understanding of the human resources field, an interest in connecting people, and strong organizational abilities. Some commonly listed skills in recruitment job descriptions include:
- Highly organized, with an ability to keep records and assess incoming data
- Detail-oriented, paying special attention to each job posting’s specific needs
- Respect for compliance and confidentiality
- Excellent communication skills when conversing with hiring teams and potential applicants
- Problem-solving mentality, with an ability to think quickly and shift gears in a constantly changing environment
- Technical skills that allow you to move efficiently through web-based technologies and social media
- A strong networker, with a natural ability to build and maintain professional relationships
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