Recruiter job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$75,940

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Human Resources Specialists (O*NET-SOC 13-1071.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). importance 4.4 of 5
4. Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software. importance 4.3 of 5
5. Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns. importance 4.3 of 5
6. Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements. importance 4.2 of 5
7. Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities. importance 4.2 of 5
8. Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate. importance 4.2 of 5
9. Schedule or conduct new employee orientations. importance 4.1 of 5
10. Maintain and update human resources documents, such as organizational charts, employee handbooks or directories, or performance evaluation forms. importance 4.0 of 5
11. Confer with management to develop or implement personnel policies or procedures. importance 4.0 of 5
12. Contact job applicants to inform them of the status of their applications. importance 3.9 of 5
13. Conduct exit interviews and ensure that necessary employment termination paperwork is completed. importance 3.9 of 5
14. Interview job applicants to obtain information on work history, training, education, or job skills. importance 3.9 of 5
15. Provide management with information or training related to interviewing, performance appraisals, counseling techniques, or documentation of performance issues. importance 3.9 of 5
16. Analyze employment-related data and prepare required reports. importance 3.8 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Working with Computers, Documenting/Recording Information, Performing Administrative Activities and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Administer employee benefit plans.
• Schedule or administer skill, intelligence, psychological, or drug tests for current or prospective employees.
• Conduct reference or background checks on job applicants.
• Review and evaluate applicant qualifications or eligibility for specified licensing, according to established guidelines and designated licensing codes.
• Evaluate recruitment or selection criteria to ensure conformance to professional, statistical, or testing standards, recommending revisions, as needed.
• Coordinate with outside staffing agencies to secure temporary employees, based on departmental needs.

Knowledge areas: Personnel and Human Resources, Administrative, Administration and Management, English Language and Customer and Personal Service.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Workday software, Applicant tracking software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a recruiter.

The most common answer among recruiters surveyed by O*NET is a bachelor's degree (47%).

Job title: Recruiter
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Recruiter to recruit, screen, interview, or place individuals within an organization.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws, standards, or regulations.
- Hire employees and process hiring-related paperwork.
- Maintain current knowledge of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action guidelines and laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Prepare or maintain employment records related to events, such as hiring, termination, leaves, transfers, or promotions, using human resources management system software.
- Address employee relations issues, such as harassment allegations, work complaints, or other employee concerns.
- Review employment applications and job orders to match applicants with job requirements.
- Inform job applicants of details such as duties and responsibilities, compensation, benefits, schedules, working conditions, or promotion opportunities.
- Select qualified job applicants or refer them to managers, making hiring recommendations when appropriate.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, reading comprehension and active listening
- Working knowledge of Personnel and Human Resources and Administrative
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $75,940 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $36.51. BLS estimates about 912,430 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of recruiters to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 73,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full recruiter salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real recruiter posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Interpret and explain human resources policies, procedures, laws…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only recruiter work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and reading comprehension); recruiter interview questions turns them into practice questions.