What Does a Field Recruiter Do?

A field recruiter represents an employer or agency at job fairs and other events to identify and recruit new employees. Some government agencies use recruiters, as do large companies, particularly when they regularly open new branches and have extensive staffing needs. It is also possible for a company to work through an employment agency that provides its own recruitment personnel to fill positions. There are usually no special educational requirements to work in this field.

One aspect of a field recruiter’s job is the identification of the specific needs of a business. Recruiters can meet with company representatives to discuss the positions they need to fill and what kinds of qualities they look for in employees. A job description can be helpful, along with specific requirements that candidates would need to meet to be considered for the position. The field recruiter may help the company refine the description and qualifications to more accurately target the best possible employees.

At events like job fairs, field recruiters make contact with prospective employees. They provide information about employers and answer questions. If a candidate looks interesting, an interview may be arranged and the field recruiter could ask for a resume. Such fairs offer general information to people considering positions and looking for jobs, and may not necessarily lead to job offers. These events may take place on college campuses or at community centers, and may be open to the general public, which can require being able to meet comfortably with people from a range of backgrounds.

Field recruiters can also supervise hiring events to met large-scale staffing needs. A company opening a new branch, for example, needs to fill the branch from the ground up with personnel. The field recruiter can identify the staffing needs and administer an event to fill as many positions as possible. This involves reviewing resumes, holding candidate interviews, and administering pre-employment screening tests, which some companies use to determine fitness for various positions.

This job can also involve making personal contact with people of interest. In these cases, the field recruiter actively solicits people who would be a good fit with an organization. Some delicacy can be required in cases where a company wants to recruit a candidate away from a rival firm, or in cases where people may be receiving competitive offers. Promising college athletes, for example, may be visited by numerous recruiters for different sports teams who want to entice them to join with offers like high salaries, benefits, and other promises.