Personnel recruiters (also called personnel consultants, headhunters, executive
searchers or placement workers) are generally hired by companies to find them
qualified employees. They interview the employer to find out about the specifics
of a job position and to negotiate the fee for finding such a candidate.
After this interview, personnel recruiters look for the perfect candidate
to fill a job opening. They review resumes and interview applicants to get
their work history, training, education and job skills. They also do reference
and background checks of applicants.
They may go out of the office looking for that special person. That may
mean arranging college visits or setting up individual interviews with future
graduates.
Interviewing is an important skill for personnel recruiters. They need
to be able to get an accurate idea of what an employer is looking for in a
candidate. They also need to be able to interview job applicants.
Personnel recruiters don't find work for every type of employee. They tend
to locate executives for management positions and find office professionals
such as accountants, engineers and secretaries.
They also find jobs for technical, legal and human resource professionals,
and for those working in advertising and telecommunications industries.
Personnel recruiters tend to work regular office hours. "I would say around
the office, people come in at 8:30 a.m. and leave at 5:30 p.m.," says David
Spry, a personnel recruiter. "Because it's commission-based, some can work
longer hours."
A person with physical challenges could do this job. "There is an occasional
need to visit a client or to travel but that can be accommodated," says Marti
Stites. He is a personnel recruiter in Berkeley, California.