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Recruitment Officer Duties and Responsibilities

Recruitment officers are promoters and salespeople of those they represent. They also have a knack for figuring out which people they meet would be successful for a certain job or at a specific educational institution. To fulfill the needs of their employers, recruitment officers take on a variety of responsibilities. Some of the central ones include the following:

Identifying Candidates Recruitment officers assess the need and then fill it. For a job opening, for instance, they learn the specifics of what the position entails. They then may turn to résumés they have on hand to begin developing an interview pool. They also might scour online sites to discover people with backgrounds that would be a good match or post ads where prospects would be likely to discover them.

Interviewing Prospects Recruitment officers talk to people. For example, they may try to convince a high school senior and his parents of the benefits of joining the ROTC in college. They might get to know a job applicant better in order to evaluate how the person would fare in a given role. During these conversations, recruitment officers should be prepared to answer questions. Because of this duty, they need a thorough knowledge of what they are trying to promote.

Following Up Developing relationships is critical for recruitment officers. They may contact people who have expressed interest to provide more information or to gauge potential. Before an employer offers someone a job, a recruitment officer may be responsible for doing a reference check. If a candidate accepts a position or a student enrolls in a school, a recruitment officer may arrange orientation and keep an eye on progress.

Examining Budgets Employers do not typically have endless resources for recruiting efforts. Recruitment officers, therefore, may be called upon to evaluate the effectiveness of how money is being spent and make suggestions about increasing efficiency.

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Recruitment Officer Skills

Since they spend a great deal of time interacting with others, recruitment officers should possess excellent interpersonal skills. Their friendliness and ability to identify with others can be the difference in whether or not their employer lands a candidate. Other great qualities for recruitment officers include:

  • Exhibiting outstanding salesmanship
  • Listening carefully in order to fully answer questions and address concerns
  • Speaking clearly
  • Dressing and acting in ways that enhance the reputation of the employer
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Recruitment Officer Education and Training

Recruitment officers usually possess a bachelor’s degree. Common fields of study include human resources, business, marketing, and communications.

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Recruitment Officer Resources

For those seeking a career as a recruitment officer, the following organizations and books can provide further information.

Society for Human Resource Management – The go-to site for all things HR, this professional society currently represents 285,000 members in more than 165 countries and has been in existence for nearly seven decades. Learn about workplace news and trends, career advancement, actual jobs, and upcoming conferences.

Recruiting Professionals Network – Got a question about becoming a recruitment officer? See if one of the 51,000+ members of this LinkedIn Group may be able to answer it.

Recruiting 101: The Fundamentals of Being a Great Recruiter – Centered on developing 15 fundamental recruiting skills, this book features step-by-step instructions. Reviewers call it “practical,” “a must-read,” and “useful to my job on a daily basis.”

No Fail Hiring: Your Ultimate Guide to Attracting and Recruiting Top Players in a Troubled Economy – Readers call this book “the hiring bible” and “mandatory for all recruiters.” The author has trained more than 85,000 people in recruiting-related areas over the years, and recruitment officers are sure to find information here that will help them with their own hiring decisions.