- Why did you choose to work as a recruiter?
- What is the most rewarding part of being a recruiter for you?
- What techniques do you use to find the perfect person for a job?
- How do you measure the efficacy of your recruiting strategies and what can you do to improve results?
- How do you keep yourself up to date with the recruiting trends?
- Can you tell us how you make use of data as part of your recruiting strategy?
- What are some important social media practices that you value as a recruiter?
- How do you write a good job advertisement?
- What are the skills you must look for in an applicant for the {job role} position at {name of company}?
- How would you sell our company to a potential candidate?
- How would you deal if the most desired candidate rejects your job offer?
- Suppose you have an excellent candidate but the company cannot offer them a suitable position at the time. How would you keep them interested in the company?
- Tips to answer recruiter interview questions
If you are aiming to become a recruiter, a smart move is to ace interviews by diving deep into basic recruitment interview questions.
Today, we discuss some crucial recruitment interview questions and answers with tips to get you started!
Why did you choose to work as a recruiter?
This question seeks to understand your motivation behind being a professional recruiter – and whether you are passionate enough to be a good one.
To answer this question, discuss past experiences that influenced you to become a recruiter and helped you make up your mind about taking it up.
Avoid giving generic statements. Talk about the positives of being a recruiter with actual experiences to support your answer.
What is the most rewarding part of being a recruiter for you?
Interviewers ask this question to gauge your passion for the profession.
You can talk about how being a recruiter corresponds to your values, aptitude and professional skills.
Give specific examples from your past experiences to support your answer and express why you truly enjoy being a recruiter beyond just collecting paychecks.
Sample answer
I enjoy recruiting because it helps me be of service to people. It also puts my listening skills to use.
Recruiting has also helped me build an intuition for identifying the best qualities in people and sharpened my decision-making and management skills.
The joy of seeing a well-placed candidate and building trust within the organization is also very satisfying.
What techniques do you use to find the perfect person for a job?
Your answer to this recruiter interview question should outline a specific strategy that you follow while finding and testing candidates for a job position.
Mention your practices (and how effective they have been) for each stage of the recruiting process.
Tailor your answer to meet the requirements of various industries.
For example, if you are interviewing for an IT company, make sure you are aware of the skills required in the field and how to find someone for the same.
Sample answer
Firstly, I believe in thorough research of potential candidates according to the job profile.
I screen them using their CVs, telephonic interviews and references, before calling them in for a personal interview.
During these interviews, I assess the candidate’s knowledge, experience, and personality.
This helps me decide if he or she is a good fit for both the company and the position.
How do you measure the efficacy of your recruiting strategies and what can you do to improve results?
While the question is a little tricky, do not be thrown off by it.
Through this recruiter interview questions, interviewers seek your willingness to be self-reflexive and self-critical.
Your answer should show that you are confident about how you function but are not averse to change or improve on yourself to deliver the best.
Talk about any unique strategy you follow with your recruiting record and explain how they have proven to be more efficient.
You may also speak of trending practices (e.g. building a stronger online presence and incorporating effective usage of social media) to show that your strategies are up to date.
How do you keep yourself up to date with the recruiting trends?
This recruiter interview question tests whether you read and follow trends and developments in the field of recruiting.
It reflects your drive to learn, curiosity towards development in the field and willingness to adapt to changes.
To answer, mention blogs, publications and other resources that you use for recruiting updates.
Make your answer more interesting by mentioning things you have read or discovered recently and how you intend to use them.
This not only shows your interviewer that you like to stay informed, but that you also engage critically with such trends and news.
Can you tell us how you make use of data as part of your recruiting strategy?
Data and other metrics can provide key insights when it comes to discovering eligible candidates for a job.
Before you interview for a recruiter's position, you should have a fair knowledge of how to access and collect data, its analysis.
Share how you use reports and data to recruit better – especially for the industry you are aiming for.
Demonstrable experience in using data while recruiting can make you come across as more efficient and up to date.
What are some important social media practices that you value as a recruiter?
Advertising and seeking jobs have moved to social media portals lately.
As a recruiter, you should be able to put forward some practices which can help you leverage this trend.
Wherever possible, use examples of actual work you have done via social media.
Sample answer
I focus on creating an engaging and approachable presence on social media sites.
I also dedicate time to research the candidate profiles that are more likely to be found on a certain social media portal and use suitable tools to improve my recruiting strategies.
In my experience, it is important to carry on such research and adapt accordingly since the social media landscape tends to change often.
How do you write a good job advertisement?
Job advertisements are often the first thing that job applicants look at.
Since being a recruiter requires good writing and communication skills, you should be able to craft an attractive job ad for your company.
Sample answer
I think the most effective job advertisements include clear information about the company, the profile and eligibility requirements.
It does not hurt to mention a few details about what the job/company offers as well.
Instead of leaning towards unnecessary jargon or text, I focus on having the right title and relevant keywords so interested candidates can be reached faster.
Creating social media and mobile-friendly ads have also been a priority for me for the last couple of years.
What are the skills you must look for in an applicant for the {job role} position at {name of company}?
This question tests how well you know the company, the job roles they usually hire for, and the required technical skills.
For instance, if you are interviewing at a tech firm as an IT recruiter, you should be well versed with common eligibility criteria for the position of a software engineer.
Do not forget to mention briefly the required soft skills as well for a more wholesome answer.
Alternatively, you can also prepare yourself to write a job ad on-the-spot for a sample job profile for the company.
How would you sell our company to a potential candidate?
This recruiter interview question aims at assessing your quick thinking, creativity, persistence, and knowledge about the company.
While chasing a popular candidate, you have to compete with other recruiters and must know how to lucratively present your company.
Prepare a pitch and mention the strategies you would use in a situation like this.
Some ideas you can discuss include reaching out to the candidate personally and highlighting the company’s history, work environment, success statistics, and suitability for the candidate.
How would you deal if the most desired candidate rejects your job offer?
It is a frequently asked recruiter interview question that aims at assessing your ability to handle negative outcomes.
Respond with grace and use it as an opportunity to reflect upon your professionalism.
You can also mention how you have dealt with such a situation in the past and what lessons it taught you.
Sample answer
I would be disappointed for sure, but I would thank the candidate (or congratulate him if he accepted an offer from another company) and let him know he can approach me anytime in the future.
It is always good to keep doors open than burn down bridges in my opinion.
I also find it useful to not view rejection as a complete failure and take it as a learning opportunity.
Rejections can tell a lot about strategies and can help convey criticism to the company or workplace.
Suppose you have an excellent candidate but the company cannot offer them a suitable position at the time. How would you keep them interested in the company?
As a recruiter, your focus must be on both the candidates and the company.
Since you are responsible for maintaining the company’s reputation among a pool of candidates, you must hold good communication and people skills.
To answer this question, draw creative and unique strategies and show that you are a good communicator, responsible recruiter to build trust between the candidate and the company.
Sample answer
As the person of contact representing the candidate, I would respect the candidate’s time and value and be kind and as honest as will be required of me.
I will be approachable and responsive, and communicate the situation to the candidate as positively as possible, even if I have to make a rejection call.
At no point will I discourage the candidate or act like I do not care about the rejection because it would only show the company in a bad light.
Tips to answer recruiter interview questions
1. Demonstrate your people skills
Recruiting requires you to be a people’s person, negotiating between your employers and job applicants.
In your interview, you should be able to put yourself forward as a good communicator, problem-solver, empathetic and someone who truly enjoys being in a people-facing profession.
2. Be up to date on trends
Recruiting requires you to be on the top of your game since you can be hiring people for very competitive industries.
The more you can show off your awareness and efficiency, the higher the chances of you impressing your interviewers.
Gather knowledge about the latest tools and trends and let your interviewers know that you are willing to learn to maintain a high success rate.
3. Speak from experience
Since recruiting is a people-facing job, you are likely to gather a lot of experience dealing with every individual candidate.
Use that experience when you answer questions during your interview.
It will show the interviewers how invested you are in your job and can learn, adapt and apply your knowledge in a variety of situations.
4. Do your research on the industry
Whether you are applying to be an HR recruiter, IT recruiter, or a recruiter for other industries, you should know what your position expects of you.
Read up on hiring trends and common requirements for the industry you wish to be a part of.
More specifically, do some in-depth research into the company interviewing you.
If you know how they operate, you will be able to make references to them while answering.
This makes you seem like a more competent candidate.
5. Ask smart questions
Most interviewers will expect you to engage in a fruitful conversation and ask questions in return.
This is just as important as being able to answer questions. More so because as a recruiter, a primary role is to scan and interview eligible candidates.
If you prove to be a critical thinker and a smart conversationalist who can get to the point quickly, you are more likely to impress the panel.
Good luck!
