How Do I Become a Staffing Specialist?

A staffing specialist handles a wide range of recruitment and hiring tasks for a company. This job often requires a high school education, but some employers prefer to hire candidates with degrees in business or human resources. Some even look to hire candidates with degrees appropriate for a particular industry. For example, a health company may prefer to hire candidates with health degrees. You might also need experience in the industry in which you hope to work — and in human resources — to secure this job.

When you want to become a staffing specialist, you may find that educational requirements vary quite a bit. Some employers will hire you for this job after you have earned a high school diploma or a General Educational Development® (GED®) certificate while others will expect you to have a bachelor's degree in a field such as business management or human resources, or in the industry in which you hope to work. Since there is so much variation in educational requirements, you might decide to earn a bachelor's degree in order to have more opportunities available to you.

Experience in the field in which you hope to work might also help you become a staffing specialist. For example, if you want to work for a medical company as a staffing specialist, having a work history in a health-related field might be helpful. The same goes for industries such as engineering and manufacturing, as some employers prefer to hire candidates who have experience with and extensive knowledge of the type of work involved. An employer might believe that a person with a well-matched work history will be more effective at finding the right employees for the company.

You might also have to spend some time in an entry-level human resources job to prepare to become a staffing specialist. Through this type of job, you can gain experience helpful for this position and take advantage of opportunities to demonstrate that you are capable of more responsibility. For example, such positions often involve setting up interview appointments, reviewing applications, checking references, and even conducting interviews. In time, however, you may be called on to recruit applicants yourself, attend events at which you can connect with job seekers, and perform more complex interviews. After a while, you may even be given the responsibility of hiring the candidates you deem most suitable.

As you prepare to become a staffing specialist, you can also consider the possibility of advancement in this career. For example, you might seek a graduate degree if your ultimate goal is to land a management position after you become a staffing specialist. You might also want to consider earning a certification as a human resource professional in the hopes of advancing to management.