What does a Recruitment Manager do?

A recruitment manager's main responsibility is to search for suitable employees. He or she works closely with the human resources (HR) department of his or her company to understand the firm's hiring needs. Directly seeking job candidates, screening resumes and following employment laws are regular work activities for a recruitment manager.

Concentrating each day on the hiring needs of the company is the principle focus of the recruitment manager's job. Typically, he or she uses a computer to place online ads directed at qualified candidates. Recruitment managers may travel as part of their job. They often create brochures about the company and travel to college campuses or job fairs to hand them out, along with their business card, to prospective candidates. After the interested candidates contact them, the recruitment manager then follows through by replying and directing these prospects through the interview process.

Typically, recruitment managers first ask interested applicants to submit their resume. A recruitment manager usually reads through a stack of resumes at one sitting and sets aside the ones that show promise. Of these, he or she will check references and education information. After that step, recruitment managers will then often contact the narrowed down number of applicants for an interview. In keeping with the law, the manager may be required to make sure all of the job applications received are kept on file with the company for a certain period of time.

Either an HR representative or the recruitment manager will usually conduct the first interview with the short list of job candidates. This initial interview is likely to take place on the telephone. The applicant number would then once again be narrowed down. HR as well as the manager or supervisor of the department requesting an employee would then usually be notified of this short-listed job applicant group Successful applicants at this stage of the process are called in for another interview by the hiring department manager; group interviews at this stage are common.

The hiring managers may provide feedback to the recruitment manager about the applicants, especially the one chosen. Recruitment managers usually keep records, and information on their past recruits can help them in their future efforts. In addition to keeping records, recruitment managers must keep up to date on the latest employment and hiring laws to avoid issues such as discrimination. They must also perform criminal record checks if these seem warranted by missing or suspicious information on a resume.