What does a recruitment consultant do?
A recruitment consultant works closely with both the employer and job seekers. They assist employers with defining their job specifications and composing appealing job advertisements, and then actively search for suitable candidates.
Recruitment consultants review candidate resumes and screen applicants to determine whether they have the skills and qualifications required for the role. For executive roles, recruitment consultants also often try to actively headhunt top talent.
Once a suitable candidate has been identified, the recruitment consultant prepares them for the interview stage and liaises closely with both parties to coordinate the next steps, culminating in assistance with contract or salary negotiations.
Recruitment consultant skills and qualifications
To succeed as an in-house recruitment consultant, strong communication, relationship-building and organisational skills are essential. Look for individuals who can manage the full recruitment cycle, assess candidate suitability and collaborate effectively with hiring managers. Experience in recruitment, talent acquisition or workforce planning may be preferred.
A successful recruitment consultant needs to have the following skills and aptitudes:
- outstanding interpersonal skills to form relationships and build rapport with clients and applicants
- excellent communication skills to provide clear details and avoid misunderstandings
- good negotiation skills
- excellent organisational skills and an eye for detail
- good understanding of the recruitment cycle
- resilience and ability to work under pressure
- familiarity with recruitment software, online job boards and social media campaigns
- discretion and ability to treat recruitment data confidentially.
Recruitment consultant experience requirements
For a recruitment consultant, experience is less important than the right attitude and a desire to succeed in the role. This, coupled with the right skill set, will make for a successful recruiter, no matter how long they’ve been working in the role.
Employers seeking to fill high-end roles may, of course, wish to hire an experienced recruiter who may have acquired a more in-depth understanding of the recruitment process and developed the ability to quickly spot the ideal candidate for executive positions.
Lateral entrants to the role will benefit from previous work experience in sales or another customer-facing role.
Recruitment consultant education and training requirements
Although there are no official requirements to practise as a recruitment consultant in Australia, many recruitment consultants choose to obtain a diploma or other human resources qualification. A Senior Secondary Certificate of Education is normally expected, and a further qualification to consider is a vocational certificate, such as a Certificate IV in Human Resource Management or a Diploma of Human Resource Management. Alternatively, there is the option to pursue a relevant university degree, such as a Bachelor of Human Resource Management or Business.
Finally, some future recruitment consultants may choose to complete a professional training course provided by the Recruitment, Consulting and Staffing Association Australia & New Zealand or another industry association.
Recruitment consultant salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a recruitment consultant is $79,558 per year. Salary level may vary depending on the organisation, industry, location and the candidate’s experience.
Job description samples for similar positions
There are a few roles that are similar to a recruitment consultant. Take a look to see if you need to hire one of these experts in addition to or instead of a recruitment consultant:
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
