How to get in…
Specialist recruitment roles tend to arise at larger employers, where staff turnover is high and dedicated teams are in place to deal with recruitment. In smaller organisations, recruitment will normally fall to an HR officer. These positions are often filled by those who started out in a generalist HR role, those with experience of the area gained during a large-scale recruitment drive, or those from a recruitment agency background.
What it involves…
A recruitment officer usually assists in all aspects of the recruitment process, from compiling job descriptions and posting vacancies, through to dealing with those leaving, transferring or taking maternity leave. You may also be involved with the interviews and induction.
Recruitment managers will focus on the same matters as the officer role, but involvement will be on a much more senior level. Your main responsibilities will include development and implementation of recruitment policy and procedures, benchmarking recruitment and retention, analysis of recruitment data, selection and management of recruitment agencies, co-ordination of the induction process, and providing advice and support to managers.
Moving up…
A CIPD qualification will be advantageous, but knowledge and understanding are the key. Three years’ experience at recruitment officer level should provide you with the skills and knowledge to enable you to move into a more senior role as there is constant demand for skilled recruitment professionals in larger organisations.
The difference in pay between the commercial and public sector are minimal, as are the regional differences, making it easy to move across sectors and around the country.
By Hays
