The 5 recruiters archetypes you’ll meet in HR

Recruiters come in many different shapes and sizes, each with its unique style and approach to finding the perfect candidates for a job opening. Here are five of the most common types of recruiters in HR, as well as an overview of their best skills and worst weaknesses.

While you might not realize it, recruiters come in many different shapes and sizes, each with its unique style and approach to finding the perfect candidates for a job opening. Here are five of the most common types of recruiters in HR, as well as an overview of their best skills and worst weaknesses. If you’re looking to work with one of these professionals, hopefully this will help you know what to expect!

What do recruiters do?

Not all recruiters are created equal. Depending on your area of expertise, industry, or region, you might encounter a wide variety of different types. And although most have “recruiter” somewhere in their job title, they actually have very different roles and responsibilities. So what kinds of recruiters do you need to know about?

Here are five types to look out for:

The headhunter/executive recruiter: This is your stereotypical recruiter—he or she spends all day cold-calling candidates and connecting them with hiring managers at his or her company. He or she acts as an intermediary between you and an employer looking to fill a position.
Corporate recruiters: These recruiters work for one specific company but may be assigned any number of tasks from staffing new positions within a certain department, finding more salespeople within their own sales teams, organizing events like career fairs, etc.
Technical recruiters: These folks specialize in sourcing candidates with highly specialized skills that can only be found among engineers (software programmers), IT professionals (graphic designers), nurses (anesthesiologists), etc. As such, they typically have greater familiarity with these areas than other types of recruiters.
Account executives: Unlike some other kinds of recruiters, account executives tend to focus less on recruiting candidates and more on forging long-term relationships with clients, since employers pay these people by month instead of by assignment. As such, an account executive will likely spend less time speaking directly with potential hires during each client relationship but may spend a lot more time pitching projects and trying to secure long-term contracts.
Resume screeners: Though technically not considered recruiters, many companies use professional resume screeners who comb through online resumes that require little additional screening before being forwarded along to internal managers who make final hiring decisions.

What does it take to become a recruiter?

Unless you plan on working your way up from entry-level within an agency or corporate department, there aren’t too many official requirements for becoming a recruiter; most simply require several years’ experience in sales. However, it’s generally easier to become a headhunter type if you have relevant experience either coming from human resources or having previously held a management role yourself.

Of course, beyond previous experience and basic education requirements (for example, having taken Human Resources courses at a university), there isn’t much else required; anyone interested in making recruiting into a full-time profession could potentially get started today!

The #1 tip I would offer anyone interested in learning how to select a recruitment company is to learn as much about their needs and approach beforehand. Not all businesses have typical needs, and understanding those early on can help save you time, stress, and money when it comes to building a brand new team.

If you’re still unsure of where to start, here are seven things every recruiter asks when deciding which candidate to hire:

Are you willing to relocate if necessary? There’s no sense in interviewing for jobs outside of your preferred location or even your region, so don’t beat around the bush and waste everyone’s time. Focus on opportunities that fall within your parameters right away.
Can you see yourself in the role? A good recruiter will ask you plenty of questions about the opportunity, but even better ones will also expect you to ask a few questions of your own. Taking initiative and asking probing questions shows that you’re already thinking seriously about accepting an offer if it’s given.
How soon can you start? Like we said earlier, most recruiters want someone who can hit the ground running from day one—so don’t waste time by taking lengthy vacations or a two-week introductory period. Shorten that timeline as much as possible and show your prospective employer that they won’t have to train their new employee for weeks on end.
How did you hear about us? As a recruiter, it’s nice to know that your network is doing its job. Most of your candidates should be returning customers who heard about your company from a coworker or former employee—or at least you should hope so, as that means you’ve been doing a great job spreading the word about who you are and what you can do for other business owners and managers.
Where do you see yourself in five years? Another common question is one that many people have difficulty answering, but recruiting professionals need to hear honest answers: Show them that you have goals and plans of your own in place—and don’t be afraid to share them with them.
Do you work well with others? No matter how amazing your talents are, if you’re a lone wolf who can’t follow instructions or doesn’t play well with others, recruiters probably aren’t going to call you back. Take a look at our #1 tip and build strong rapport within your local business community as much as possible. It’s usually one of a recruiter’s top priorities to find people who are personable and friendly as they’ll be working closely with their new employees on an ongoing basis.
Why do you want to work for our company? Finally, a recruiter will always want to know why you’re interested in their company and what your long-term goals are. Be prepared to discuss your reasons for wanting to work with them in-depth, as they’ll look at these conversations as your chance to sell yourself on paper. Rather than having a one-sided conversation that only focuses on their needs and how you can fulfill them, actually try finding out what challenges they face as an organization so that you can come up with ways you’d be able to help fill gaps or weaknesses. Bonus tip: Always be sure to send thank-you notes after any interview; it’s a small but meaningful gesture of appreciation for both parties involved that tends to really stand out from other candidates who don’t bother sending anything at all.