How to hire a college recruiter

How to hire a college recruiter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step college recruiter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a college recruiter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new college recruiter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the college recruiter you need to hire. Certain college recruiter roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect college recruiter also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of college recruiters.

   Type of College Recruiter	Description	Hourly rate
   College Recruiter	Human resources specialists recruit, screen, interview, and place workers. They often handle other human resources work, such as those related to employee relations, compensation and benefits, and training... Show more	$14-40
   Self-Employed	A self-employed person works without the supervision of a specific employer. Self-employed entrepreneurs decide their business plans to increase profitability and get involved with the current market trends... Show more	$12-21
   Talent Acquisition Consultant	A Talent Acquisition Consultant is responsible for sourcing and recruiting high-quality candidates. They may work in an office setting or travel to different locations to search for new talents.	$23-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Interview Process
   • Open Positions
   • PowerPoint
   • Applicant Tracking Systems
   • Background Checks
   • Recruitment Strategies
   • College Fairs
   • Career Fairs
   • Phone Screens
   • Intern Program
   • Candidate Tracking
   • Local Schools
   • Student Services
   • Internship Program

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize applicant tracking system (Taleo) to manage job applications, resume data and reports.
   • Specialize in identifying quality talent within the application development, infrastructure support, business analysis, and project management space.
   • Serve as an exemplary representative of the university while promoting academic excellence, leadership and university values.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your college recruiter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A college recruiter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, college recruiters' average salary in florida is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level college recruiters earn 63% less than senior-level college recruiters.
   • Certifications. A college recruiter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a college recruiter's salary.

   Average college recruiter salary

   $51,116yearly

   $24.57 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level college recruiter salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

4. Writing a college recruiter job description

   A job description for a college recruiter role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a college recruiter job description:

   College recruiter job description example

   Application Instructions:
   
   External Applicants: Please upload your resume on the Apply screen. Your application will automatically populate your resume details, and you may verify and update data on the My Information page.
   
   Please add your cover letter and any other documents required for the position to the Resume/CV document upload section at the bottom of the My Experience application page. Use the Select Files button to add multiple documents including your cover letter and supporting documents. The My Experience page is the only opportunity to add your cover letter and supporting document attachments. You will not be able to modify your application after you submit it.
   
   Current Employees: Apply from your existing Workday account. Do not apply from the website. Log in to Workday. Click on the Career Worklet and select Find Jobs . Locate the position and click Apply . Update your Education and Job History.
   ** Cover letter required for all positions and optional for facilities, campus services, and hospitality positions unless otherwise specified.
   
   Job Description Summary
   Individuals will contact middle and high school students, and their parents, to encourage students to apply to the Wake Forest University Pre-College Programs, Summer Immersion, Summer Exploration, and College LAUNCH for Leadership.
   
   Job Description
   
   The role of the telephone recruiter will require that the employee demonstrates professional workplace behavior including office etiquette and superior customer service while on the phone. A caller should understand basic technology skills. This position requires outbound calling, responding to inquiries, and note-taking after each call. A phone script and training will be provided.
   
   Additional Information
   
   Hours: Monday - Friday daytime and evenings, 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
   
   Location: Remote, using a Google Voice Account
   
   Additional Job Description
   
   Open Until Filled
   
   In furtherance of the University's commitment to resuming operations in a manner consistent with or similar to how those operations were conducted prior to the pandemic, and in an effort to protect the health and safety of the campus community, all faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated with an FDA approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine and an influenza vaccine. Faculty and staff with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs that preclude vaccination should contact Human Resources to request a reasonable accommodation.
   
   Time Type Requirement
   Part time
   Note to Applicant:
   
   This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.
   
   In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.
   
   Wake Forest seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce while promoting an inclusive work environment committed to excellence in the spirit of Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status and encourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find college recruiters for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any college recruiters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level college recruiters with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your college recruiter job on Zippia to find and recruit college recruiter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit college recruiters, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new college recruiter

   Once you have selected a candidate for the college recruiter position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new college recruiter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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