Hiring Guide
Recruiter
Specific duties of a Recruiter can vary from business to business — along with factors like company culture, work environment, and team dynamics — it’s vital to tailor any job description and interview content to your company’s needs and expectations.
Hiring Guide: Recruiter
Recruiter interview templates
Recruiter
Skills Interview
Hireguide I/O Psych Validated
Recruiting Analyst
Skills Interview
Zeynep Uncu
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Why you should hire a Recruiter
Recruiters support organizations in meeting their hiring goals by finding, attracting and hiring qualified candidates for open positions. They are responsible for sourcing/screening applicants, supporting employment negations and ensuring both candidate and organizational success.
In this hiring guide, we'll provide everything you need to hire a great Recruiter.
Top skills for Recruiters
Administrative
Candidate Relationship Management
Recruiting
Program Planning and Evaluation
Sample Recruiter job description
Recruiters (sometimes known as Talent Acquisition Specialists) find qualified candidates to fill job openings for a company. Recruiters might work for a staffing agency and fill roles for multiple clients, or they might work for one company and recruit internally. Their primary goal is to help their company/clients hire the best talent as possible while also meeting the demands of candidates throughout the process.
A core part of the recruiter role is collaborating with hiring managers and connecting with candidates. Their key responsibilities include identifying position requirements, reaching out and screen candidates for those requirements, conducting preliminary interviews, and scheduling subsequent interviews for hiring managers. Recruiters also own the end-to-end process of talent acquisition. Doing so requires them to coordinate with the rest of the HR team and other internal stakeholders to develop and execute talent acquisition strategies.
Sample interview questions for Recruiters
Question 1
What are some tactics you would use to build high quality relationships with applicants as they move through the recruitment process?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to organize and manage high quality relationships with candidates at scale/in high volumes
Answer tips
- Treats every candidate as an individual by conveying empathy and respect
- Ensures communications are sent in a timely fashion
- Goes above and beyond to personalize communications with candidates
- Records information and communications to build accurate and complete picture of candidates (e.g. in ATS or HRIS)
- Provides candidates feedback and justifies outcomes wherever possible
Question 2
How would you communicate a rejection decision to a candidate after they completed the interview process?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to communicate effectively and compassionately with applicants
Answer tips
- Contacts the candidate with a phone call to communicate decision
- Is honest, transparent, and considerate when delivering the message
- Justifies the decision and provides feedback on areas for improvement/development
- Thanks the candidate and asks them to apply again in the future
- Communicates outcomes in a timely fashion
Question 3
Tell me about a time where you were sourcing candidates for a particular role? How did you approach active versus passive candidates, and what practices did you implement to ensure your sourcing efforts were effective?
What does this question reveal?
Candidate has the ability to generate high quality applicant pools by sourcing effectively
Answer tips
- Contacts the candidate with a phone call to communicate decision
- Is honest, transparent, and considerate when delivering the message
- Justifies the decision and provides feedback on areas for improvement/development
- Thanks the candidate and asks them to apply again in the future
- Communicates outcomes in a timely fashion
