Specialist recruitment roles tend to arise within larger organisations, where staff turnover is high and dedicated teams are in place to deal with recruitment. Within smaller firms, recruitment will normally fall within the remit of an HR officer or similar.
These positions are often filled by those who started out in a generalist HR role, such as HR administrator, before either choosing to specialise in recruitment, or gaining knowledge and experience during a large-scale recruitment drive.
Sometimes those with recruitment agency backgrounds come into these roles. They often have interviewing techniques and people skills, as well as knowledge of the legal issues surrounding recruitment.
What it involves…
The role of the recruitment officer involves assisting with all aspects of the recruitment process, from compiling job descriptions and posting vacancies, to dealing with those leaving, transferring or going on maternity leave. You may also be involved with the interview and induction processes.
For recruitment managers, the day-to-day work will focus on the same as the officer role, but your involvement will be much more senior. You will be expected to take a long-term strategic view – working with internal management to ensure there is an understanding of current and future workforce needs, and implementing processes and procedures to ensure these are met.
Moving up…
The CIPD qualification will help you, but knowledge and understanding are key. Gaining three years’ experience at recruitment officer level should be enough to move into a more senior role, and there is a constant demand for skilled recruitment professionals within large organisations.
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By Hays
