Recruiter

The remit follows the team

Recruiters help move hiring work from a role brief to a decision. Depending on the organisation, that can include describing a vacancy, finding candidates, screening applications, interviewing, checking references or coordinating an offer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists recruiting, screening and interviewing among the work of human resources specialists. It also notes that duties vary by employer.

A recruiter may own most of those steps, or focus on one part of a larger team’s process. “Full-cycle” describes a remit that runs across the process; it is one way to organise the work, not part of every recruiter’s job title.

Responsibility needs a handoff

Recruiting work often sits alongside a hiring manager’s knowledge of the role. One person may clarify the work and assess job-related evidence, while another keeps communication, records and next steps moving. Some recruiters also make or share selection decisions. The organisation needs to state who owns each decision, including who approves an offer.

That division can change between roles or teams. A useful intake conversation records the must-have evidence, who will assess it and when the candidate should hear back. The recruiter’s contribution is easier to judge when the handoff is visible.

Interview for the work itself

Give a candidate a realistic vacancy brief and ask how they would turn it into a hiring process. Listen for questions about role requirements, the evidence each stage should collect and how they would keep candidates informed. A short example of a difficult handoff can reveal how they work with a hiring manager without assuming the recruiter alone controls the outcome.