Recruiter Job Description

A Recruiter finds and hires people for open roles at a company. They source candidates, screen resumes, run interviews, manage the offer process, and ensure a positive candidate experience. The role is part sales (selling the company and role to candidates), part consulting (helping hiring managers define what they need), and part project management (moving candidates through the pipeline efficiently).

What does a Recruiter do?

A Recruiter writes job descriptions, posts openings on job boards and LinkedIn, sources passive candidates, screens resumes and conducts initial phone screens, coordinates interview loops, collects feedback from interviewers, manages the offer process, and maintains the ATS. They partner with hiring managers to define role requirements, pipeline candidates proactively, and track hiring metrics.

Recruiter responsibilities

• Write and post job descriptions on job boards, LinkedIn, and company career pages
• Source passive candidates through LinkedIn, referrals, and professional networks
• Screen resumes and conduct initial phone screens to assess fit and interest
• Coordinate interview loops and manage scheduling across multiple stakeholders
• Collect and synthesize interview feedback from the hiring team
• Manage the offer process including compensation benchmarking and negotiation
• Maintain accurate candidate records in the ATS
• Build and maintain a pipeline of qualified candidates for future roles
• Track and report on hiring metrics (time-to-fill, source effectiveness, pipeline health)
• Ensure a positive candidate experience throughout the hiring process

Essential requirements

• Experience recruiting for technical or specialized roles (adjust based on the role)
• Strong sourcing skills using LinkedIn Recruiter, job boards, and professional networks
• Experience conducting phone screens and initial candidate assessments
• Proficiency with ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, etc.)
• Clear communication skills for candidate engagement and hiring manager alignment
• Ability to manage multiple open roles simultaneously

Preferred qualifications

• Experience recruiting in the relevant industry or for the specific role type
• Track record of meeting hiring targets and maintaining quality-of-hire standards
• Familiarity with employer branding and candidate experience best practices
• Experience with recruitment marketing and talent pipeline building
• Knowledge of compensation benchmarking tools and market data

Core skills

Technical / professional skills

• ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workday, iCIMS)
• LinkedIn Recruiter and sourcing tools
• Job board management (Indeed, Glassdoor, niche platforms)
• Sourcing tools and browser extensions (HireEZ, SeekOut, etc.)
• Interview scheduling and coordination tools
• Compensation benchmarking tools (Pave, Levels.fyi, Mercer)
• Recruitment CRM and pipeline management

Soft skills

• Relationship building — creating trust with both candidates and hiring managers
• Communication — clear, timely updates to candidates and stakeholders
• Sales mindset — selling the company, role, and opportunity to candidates
• Organization — managing multiple roles, candidates, and deadlines simultaneously
• Judgment — assessing candidate fit beyond what's on the resume

Experience and education guidance

Most Recruiter roles require 2-5 years of recruiting experience. In-house recruiters at tech companies typically specialize by function (engineering recruiting, sales recruiting, etc.). Agency recruiters bring high-volume experience but may need to adapt to in-house processes. Evaluate based on the types of roles being filled and the hiring volume.

Recruiters come from diverse backgrounds. A degree in HR, Business, Communications, or Psychology is common but not required. What matters most is demonstrated ability to source, screen, and close candidates. Industry certifications (AIRS, LinkedIn Certified Professional) can validate expertise.

What to include in this job description

Include the types of roles the recruiter will fill (engineering, sales, operations), the hiring volume (roles per quarter), whether the role is in-house or agency, the ATS and tools used, and whether the role involves employer branding or recruitment marketing. Be specific about the candidate persona.

Common job description mistakes for this role

Common mistakes include not specifying whether the role is in-house or agency, failing to mention the types of roles being recruited for, describing the role as purely administrative (it involves sales and relationship building), and not mentioning compensation or hiring metrics expectations.

How to customize this job description

After generating a Recruiter job description, adjust the specialization to match the actual hiring needs. If the role is primarily engineering recruiting, emphasize technical sourcing skills. If it's high-volume operational hiring, emphasize pipeline management and efficiency. Add specifics about the company's hiring stage (scaling from 50 to 200, or maintaining a steady state).

Related job descriptions

• HR Manager
• Account Manager

Frequently asked questions