Education
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What Does a Recruiting Specialist Do?

Nick Mann
Nick Mann

A recruiting specialist is a person who is involved in the acquisition of new employees. To perform this job well, an individual should possess excellent interpersonal skills and be able to build rapport with others. While a recruiting specialist can work in a variety of industries, the essential job duties are the same. These include contacting potential employees, conducting interviews, checking references, hiring new employees and documenting information.

Contacting potential employees is one of the most fundamental duties of a recruiter. To fill company positions, he must constantly be on the lookout for talented individuals. This practice can be done in numerous ways, but some common methods include referrals, online ads, visiting colleges and traditional cold calls. Consequently, it helps for a recruiting specialist to have a friendly and approachable demeanor.

A recruiting specialist conducts interviews on a regular basis.
A recruiting specialist conducts interviews on a regular basis.

Another important part of this job is conducting interviews on a routine basis. After a recruiter has obtained a potential employee, he must schedule a time to interview the applicant. In most cases, the applicant will be required to fill out an application form and answer some questions concerning things like background, previous jobs and skills. During the interview, the recruiting specialist will get a better idea of an applicant's abilities and determine if the individual would be a good fit for his company.

A recruiting specialist may conduct interviews over the phone.
A recruiting specialist may conduct interviews over the phone.

Checking references is also a common practice and is used to back up the claims of the applicant. For this practice, a recruiter will often contact one or more references by phone or through online correspondence. While talking with a reference, he might ask about an applicant's credentials to determine if the answer matches the applicant's claims.

After an interview has been conducted and references have been checked, it's the job of a recruiting specialist to either hire or reject an applicant. In some cases, he will be solely in charge of this decision, while in other instances, he may need to go over the decision with a supervisor. If an applicant is hired, a recruiting specialist will go over all pertinent information, like company guidelines, standards and ethics. This process can sometimes involve a training seminar as well.

A recruiting specialist should be courteous, personable, and have strong communication skills.
A recruiting specialist should be courteous, personable, and have strong communication skills.

In addition, a recruiter will usually document each applicant's information. This can include information like an applicant's name, address, work history, references and anything of importance that was stated during the interview. In most cases, this information will be stored electronically so that it can be accessed at a future time if needed.

Discuss this Article

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • A recruiting specialist conducts interviews on a regular basis.
      By: vgstudio
      A recruiting specialist conducts interviews on a regular basis.
    • A recruiting specialist may conduct interviews over the phone.
      By: stokkete
      A recruiting specialist may conduct interviews over the phone.
    • A recruiting specialist should be courteous, personable, and have strong communication skills.
      By: Rido
      A recruiting specialist should be courteous, personable, and have strong communication skills.