How to Really Add Value as an In-House Recruiter

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It is becoming extremely common for organisations to say they are shifting away from a recruitment model to more of a talent acquisition model.

What exactly does this mean? More importantly what does it mean for the role of the in-house recruiter? It really comes down to adding value – to both the hiring managers and the organisation as a whole; as well as to the candidate experience.

Key Takeaways:

• The talent acquisition model focuses on the big-picture needs of an organization, rather than hiring only to address short-term needs.

• In-house recruiters add value to their organizations not by finding a large number of candidates, but by finding the right candidates by sourcing talent.

• As an in-house recruiter, you represent your organization to candidates during the hiring process, so making sure that the candidate experience is positive is crucial.

Are you recruiting or acquiring talent?

Bersin by Deloitte defines talent acquisition as “a strategic approach to identifying, attracting, and onboarding talent to efficiently and effectively meet dynamic business needs.” Recruitment is defined as “the tactical component of attracting and identifying job candidates.”

The difference comes down to connecting talent to business needs versus just addressing a momentary need.

What do your hiring managers think you actually do? Is it a case where they brief you on an open requisition and then expect you to suddenly pull a couple of pre-qualified, ready-to-interview candidates out of a hat?

We all know there’s so much more to your talent attraction and selection process, so if your hiring managers don’t appreciate your efforts, it’s about time you made it clear what takes place behind the scenes.

The difference between sourcing and recruiting

As an in-house recruiter, how do you distinguish between sourcing and recruiting?

While the concept of actually finding people has become much easier in recent years, finding the right people has become increasingly more challenging. Finding all of them is even harder. As such, knowing how to effectively source talent is now more important than ever before.

However, sourcing is so much more than simply specialized resume search and candidate name generation. Sourcing has turned into a specialised field of its own, and if you don’t understand the difference between sourcing and recruiting, you will end up adding to your overall cost and time to hire.

• Sourcing is the act of identifying prospect candidates who fit a target profile. It’s the proactive search for qualified candidates; and not just the perusal of CVs and applications received in response to an online job posting.

• For some, in addition to the identification of talent, sourcing also includes the assessment and candidate engagement piece.

Adding value through a positive candidate experience

There are literally thousands of articles available for candidates on how to leave a lasting first impression throughout the recruitment process. Everything from how to craft an engaging cover letter to how to make a resumé stand out, and even to what not to wear to a job interview.

With the war for top quality talent raging pretty fiercely right now, it’s also critical for in-house recruiters to leave a positive first impression on their candidates – that is, of course, if they want their candidates to remain loyal and to not run straight into the arms of their competitors.

The candidate experience is an integral part of the recruitment process that can impact how effectively an organisation is able to recruit quality candidates.

In-House Recruiter FAQs

1. How do good recruiting practices add value?

   Good recruiting practices add value by finding the best candidates for the required roles, and by making the organization attractive to the candidate. Successful recruiting means finding the people whose skills best match the needs of each role.

   After finding the best candidates, successful recruiters also add value by putting the best face on the organization and giving the best candidates out there the best hiring experience possible.

2. Do in-house recruiters work on commission?

   No, in-house recruiters usually don’t work on commission. Third-party or external recruiters might make commissions based on the salaries of the candidates that they successfully place in jobs, but in-house recruiters who work for specific organizations typically get paid a salary instead.

3. What are the responsibilities of an in-house recruiter?

   The responsibilities of an in-house recruiter might include things outside of the recruiting and talent acquisition process itself. The full scope of the responsibilities of an in-house recruiter depends on the specific organization.

   In-house recruiters might also be responsible for other parts of the recruiting process. This might include being responsible for budgeting for new hires or new employee onboarding.

4. What skills are important for an in-house recruiter?

   Interpersonal and communication skills are important for an in-house recruiter. A large part of the job of an in-house recruiter involves the ability to understand other people and assess their own abilities and aptitudes

   Strong interpersonal skills will help with this, as well as with creating the ideal recruitment process for potential candidates to help make your organization appealing to them.

Final Thoughts

There are a variety of ways in which in-house recruiters can bring value to their organizations. From the initial talent search to the interviewing and onboarding processes, in-house recruiters can be the face of the organization when it comes to candidates.

By shifting to focus on talent acquisition rather than recruiting alone, in-house recruiters can help shape the future of their organization and bring long-term value.

Author

Paul Slezak

With over two decades of experience in the recruitment and human capital industry, Paul Slezak has established himself as a transformative force in the realm of leadership and career coaching, group facilitation, and talent acquisition. His unique perspective, drawn from his early career as a leader in global recruitment firms and his entrepreneurial success with his own start-up, has enabled him to make a significant impact on leaders, teams, and organizations across the world. Paul's passion for helping others achieve success and high performance is evident in his commitment to transforming leaders and their teams at local, national, and international levels. He specializes in promoting the importance of human-centered intelligence, focusing on soft skills such as authenticity, transparency, and trust to complement business-centered acumen and drive better workplace outcomes. As an impartial facilitator, Paul brings his expertise to team offsites and strategy days, ensuring alignment on goals, values, and culture while keeping participants on task. His engaging and energetic presence, coupled with his unique "entertraining" and "edutaining" delivery style, enables him to connect with audiences both large and intimate, sharing personal and professional anecdotes that inspire and energize.