According to a LinkedIn report, there was a 3 times increase in the recruiter job posted during six months in 2021 compared to the same six months in 2020. Clearly, the demand for recruiters increased at scale. Even today, employers across industries are struggling to hire suitable recruiters.
Here are a few tips to help you hire a recruiter who can get the job done.
1. Define qualities that makes recruiters a fit for your company
Write down qualities that a recruiter should have to do their job well. If you can clearly define what you are looking for, you will know who to hire.
- Accountability
Regardless of limited resources and time shortage, great recruiters can find the candidates they need. And if something goes wrong, they will own it. At times, you may have urgent hiring needs, lack enough resources, budget and tools. A recruiter who takes ownership and feels accountable will not let limitations come their way. They will find ways to overcome these challenges.
- Marketing skills

Recruiters must be able to sell vacancies to qualified candidates. The recruiters you hire must have marketing skills. They must be able to identify candidates’ pain points and accordingly plan the recruitment process. They must be proficient in identifying employer value propositions and creating job ads that appeal to your target candidates to take action.
- Confidence
When a recruiter represents your company, if they sound uncertain, it can negatively impact your hiring efforts. Hire a recruiter who can lead with confidence.
- Futuristic approach
Long before a job vacancy, proactive recruiters identify and track experts who can take responsibilities of the position and be a great cultural fit. Keeping an eye on top performers in your industry can help you quickly source and hire candidates when there are vacancies in the future. Hire a recruiter who can make personal relationships with the candidates and are great at analysing career trajectories of candidates to determine skill sets, potential and if they can be perfect prospects.
2. Give assignments to assess their skills
After you have clearly defined the qualities a recruiter must have to get the job done, create a process to test those qualities. Give them a written assignment that tests their communication skills, accountability, marketing skills and futuristic vision.
3. Focus on competencies over experience

Consider hiring for competencies. With the changing hiring dynamics, hiring a recruiter who has hired a full stack engineer before or has years of experience may not be very effective. Instead, look to hire a recruiter who is tech savvy, can adapt their tactics as per market needs, headhunt passive candidates and ensure candidate experience.
4. Use PyjamaHR applicant tracking system to hire faster
In the current scenario, sourcing enough qualified candidates for the recruiter position is a tough task. It can be even tedious when you have to manually manage the recruitment process. Screening so many candidates and evaluating specific qualities become hectic and time-consuming.
To reduce time spent manually doing tasks, consider using the PyjamaHR applicant tracking system. It helps manage the end-to-end recruitment process and boost efficiency.
Use the above tips to overcome the competitive recruiter market. Use modern-day practices and adopt technological solutions to have a competitive edge as you plan to hire a recruiter.