
How to Become a Job Recruiter
Becoming a job recruiter can be a rewarding career path for those with strong interpersonal skills and a keen business sense. As a recruiter, you help connect top talent with companies looking to fill open positions. It’s an essential role in today’s competitive job market.
While no formal education is required, succeeding as a recruiter requires strategic planning, marketing abilities, and excellent communication talents. By following some key steps, you can set yourself on the path to becoming a recruiter.
Choose a Recruiting Specialty
One of the first things any aspiring recruiter must do is choose a specialty. Rather than trying to recruit candidates across all industries and job functions, it’s better to develop expertise in a narrow area.
Some common recruiting specialties include:
- Information technology roles – software engineers, developers, systems admins, etc.
- Healthcare – doctors, nurses, technicians
- Accounting and Finance
- Industrial and Manufacturing
- Executive Search
Focusing on an industry you already have experience in or enjoy makes building up your recruiting knowledge much easier. As you begin working with companies and candidates in your chosen specialty, you will organically expand your network and reputation.
Later on, once your recruiting business has matured, you can consider expanding into additional verticals. But start narrow.
Formally Register Your Recruiting Business
While you may operate as an independent recruiter, formally registering your business lends legitimacy and professionalism from day one.
The first step is choosing a business name that is catchy yet clearly conveys your specialty. For example, if you place software engineers, a name like “Silicon Valley Staffing Solutions” may be fitting.
Next, establish your business identity by registering your recruiting firm as an LLC or other corporate structure with the Secretary of State in your state. This process is usually straightforward and can often be completed through your Secretary of State website.
A couple of additional to-do’s here:
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for tax purposes
- Open a dedicated business checking account so you can accept payment to your business entity
- Check if your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office holds free classes for new entrepreneurs on formally launching and running a small business. Classes to look for include marketing, sales, negotiations, business law, bookkeeping, and entrepreneurship.
- Also, many public libraries offer free seminars. These can help guide you through the process.
Create an Online Presence
In today’s digital age, establishing an online presence is crucial for credibility and discoverability as a recruiter.
Some key areas to focus on:
- Website – At a minimum, have a professional-looking website that outlines your specialty, recruiting process, and value proposition to candidates and companies. Allow site visitors to easily contact you. And make it easy for job seekers to send their resumes.
- LinkedIn – Maintain a robust, complete LinkedIn profile that drives interested parties back to your website. Join relevant industry and niche groups and forums. Always have your phone number and email clearly available so you can easily connect with new people.
- Job Boards – Post open positions on niche and local job boards that fit your specialty. Consider paid premium accounts to gain more exposure.
- Social Media – Use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to network online, share job openings, post industry news, and engage with candidates and hiring managers.
Your website and LinkedIn profile will essentially act as 24/7 marketing assets, allowing you to attract new recruiting opportunities even when not actively prospecting.
Also Read: How Much Do Job Recruiters Get Paid?
Start Building Your Book of Business
With the groundwork of your recruiting business laid, it’s time – to start having conversations and building relationships with companies in your focus area.
Here are a few tips as you start sourcing new clients:
- Leverage your existing personal and professional connections who may have insight into companies that regularly hire for roles within your specialty
- Consistently check job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and others to see who’s hiring and for what. These can be good starting points when you pick up the phone to build a new business
- Identify staffing gaps by reviewing the careers pages of company websites
For example, if an IT consulting firm has 15+ open engineering job listings, they likely have recurring hiring needs
- Attend local industry networking events, human resources group luncheons, and trade organization meetings to connect directly with key decision-makers
- Don’t be afraid of a little cold outreach either via email or phone to introduce your services. Highlight how you can save companies time by managing the entire candidate screening and placement process. Provide any in-house recruiters currently working with them as complementary support.
As you take on initial recruiting assignments and successfully place candidates, leverage happy clients to provide testimonials and referrals to new companies. Rinse and repeat!
Conclusion
The great news is that with some business savvy, resilience, and a passion for connecting people to meaningful work, almost anyone can become an independent recruiter! By identifying and sticking to a niche, handling paperwork, increasing visibility, and relentlessly networking, you’ll be well on your way to building a rewarding recruiting career.