Monday, April 13, 2009

What does a Corporate recruiter do?

I know many people have common misconceptions about what a corporate recruiter really is and what we do. And it may very from company to company. But for some, it is just a matter of not really understanding the importance of a Corporate Recruiter, or understanding how to use them to their advantage.

So what do we do?
1. A corporate Recruiter is in place to manage the recruitment process from start to finish and for an ongoing basis.
2. Corporate Recruiters are responsible to keeping up with best practices and recruiting trends. We must know what the best technologies are to use, what other resources are available.
3. CRs are in place to help minimize hiring costs. We are typically measured by key metrics such as cost per hire, time to fill, quality if hire and retention rates, and satisfaction of our managers with our recruitment support.
4. We are responsible for managing relationships with third party agencies, but first and foremost, trying to find avenues to fill positions without utilizing a costly agency. Once all internal resources have been exhausted-then we reach out for additional assistance.
5. Administrative duties-setting up interview days for managers, preparing managers for interviews by giving recommended interview questions and interview tips, having applicants complete behavioral surveys, managing our applicant tracking system.

Administrative verses real recruiting:

I read a blog recently that was posted by an external recruiter. It made mention that corporate recruiters aren't real sourcers because they are caught up with administrative tasks. True-If you let managers use you as an admin and do everything for them then yes, you will never have time to go out and find candidates of your own. But if you manage your client groups and your time effectively then you can actually be a more effective recruiter.

I don't let myself get bogged down with administrative duties. I spend as much time as I can sourcing the web and calling prospects. I typically dedicate 1 full day a week to just sourcing. Then once I have a solid list of contact info and resumes I start calling them to discuss what my company has to offer and determine if their experience and skill set is what I am truly looking for.

Advantages of being a Corporate Recruiter:

1. Working from inside the company helps give a better company perspective. They have a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities for the position and candidates can get direct feedback more quickly.
2. CR's have relationships with both Hiring Managers and HR.
3. Position is not heavily commissioned like recruiters from outside agencies.