How to hire an executive recruiter

How to hire an executive recruiter, step by step

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

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

What does an executive recruiter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an executive recruiter, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an executive recruiter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an executive recruiter that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of executive recruiter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Executive Recruiter	Description	Hourly rate
   Executive 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	$24-58
   Staffing Consultant	A staffing consultant develops and maintains the accounts of clients through outside and inside organizational activities. Staffing consultants induct, assess, and monitor the job applicants preparing them for their assignments... Show more	$12-31
   Human Resources Generalist	A human resources generalist is responsible for monitoring the human resources policies and procedures, making adjustments as needed to align with the company's goals and objectives. Duties of a human resources generalist also include improving employee relations system, organizing compliance and knowledge training, reviewing benefit plans, managing compensation inquiries, assisting in recruitment and staffing needs, communicating with department heads in employees' performance reviews, and storing employees' files for reference... Show more	$19-36

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Applicant Tracking Systems
   • Human Resources
   • Logistics
   • Healthcare
   • Direct Hire
   • Business Development
   • Strong Negotiation
   • Recruitment Process
   • Interview Process
   • Persuasion
   • ATS
   • Work Ethic
   • Executive Recruitment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and manage company's social media pages (Facebook & LinkedIn).
   • Recruit a team of QA experts to do framework lead solution as a testing bed foundation for quarterly regression testing.
   • Utilize Linkedin, Google, Facebook, and other search engines to seek out qualify candidates.
   • Negotiate all salaries, rates and fees with clients, documenting all activity with precision into CRM system.
   • Prepare for the search process by identifying technical requirements and seeking candidates through networking, ATS database and internet research.
   • Participate in project teams to improve the applicant tracking system (ATS) and the employee referral program (ERP).

   More executive recruiter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your executive recruiter job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An executive recruiter salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an executive recruiter in Tennessee may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level executive recruiter usually earns less than a senior-level executive recruiter. Additionally, an executive recruiter with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average executive recruiter salary

   $79,755yearly

   $38.34 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level executive recruiter salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average executive recruiter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$123,113	$59
   2	Washington	$117,462	$56
   3	Oregon	$102,406	$49
   4	Minnesota	$89,857	$43
   5	District of Columbia	$89,212	$43
   6	Texas	$84,193	$40
   7	Illinois	$83,898	$40
   8	Colorado	$80,575	$39
   9	North Carolina	$76,476	$37
   10	Virginia	$74,801	$36
   11	Alabama	$74,706	$36
   12	Georgia	$73,425	$35
   13	New York	$72,657	$35
   14	Pennsylvania	$72,634	$35
   15	Massachusetts	$72,482	$35
   16	Wisconsin	$72,269	$35
   17	Ohio	$72,183	$35
   18	Connecticut	$69,826	$34
   19	New Jersey	$67,801	$33
   20	Arizona	$67,201	$32

   Average executive recruiter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$134,964	$64.89	57
   2	Google	$129,217	$62.12	33
   3	Microsoft	$122,711	$59.00	45
   4	UiPath	$116,451	$55.99	1
   5	DoorDash	$115,965	$55.75	93
   6	Atlassian	$115,483	$55.52	6
   7	First Republic Bank	$112,178	$53.93
   8	Zoox	$111,656	$53.68	3
   9	Pure Storage	$110,010	$52.89	10
   10	Salesforce	$105,964	$50.94	42
   11	BNY Mellon	$105,635	$50.79	3
   12	Intuit	$103,982	$49.99	9
   13	Amazon	$103,185	$49.61	63
   14	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$100,145	$48.15	203
   15	LinkedIn	$98,984	$47.59
   16	Fairview Health Services	$98,906	$47.55
   17	Expedia Group	$97,038	$46.65
   18	McKinsey & Company Inc	$96,799	$46.54	4
   19	Ernst & Young	$96,580	$46.43	77
   20	Stitch Fix	$96,235	$46.27

4. Writing an executive recruiter job description

   A good executive recruiter job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an executive recruiter job description:

   Executive recruiter job description example

   Job DescriptionExecutive Recruiter -- 100% Remote
   -- Base 50k
   -- OTE 80k-120K
   
   CyberCoders is part of the 7th largest U.S. based global staffing firms. As an industry leader, we have been named one of Forbes Best Professional Recruiting Firms multiple years in a row. CyberCoders was named one of the best training programs by Indeed and Monster; we also rank in the top 25% of companies for having supportive managers. NOW, we are expanding our team! If you're a highly motivated sales or recruiting professional looking for a FULLY REMOTE opportunity with unlimited earning potential, look no further.What You Will Be DoingThis is your chance to build your own book of business and run a full life cycle recruiting desk. Use your own lead generation methodology and our AMAZING tools to bring in new clients. Source the best talent available with the help of our unique top-of-the-line proprietary systems at your fingertips. You will be the primary point of contact for both clients and candidates. This means that you will have complete control over your desk and your earning potential.
   
   Our "people's first" mentality is reflected in everything we do, especially the way we interact with our co-workers. As part of the CyberCoders family, you will receive ongoing career training and mentorship! The genuine desire to help people find rewarding careers, and help companies find amazing talent is what drives our success.What You Need for this Position- Have 1+ years of sales or 6 months recruiting experience;
   - College Degree (Preferred but not required);
   - Have a love for people and building long-lasting relationships;
   - Eager to build a career, not just find another job;
   - Resourceful and inquisitive, Google is your best friend;
   - Able to write professional emails and feel comfortable writing catchy ads;
   - Have an insatiable thirst to be successful, drive to be the best, and motivation to make it all happen;
   - Have a fascination or love of communicating with people (you don't have to be a social butterfly, but you can't be a wallflower);What's In It for YouFlexibility to work from anywhere. This is a fully remote opportunity;
   
   - Base + Uncapped Commission Structure;
   - Unrivaled Technology;
   - Career Growth Opportunity- availability of managerial promotions in 1 year+;
   - Comprehensive Benefits Plan- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability Insurance ;
   - Employee Stock Purchase Plan;
   - Bonuses; and
   - 401(k) Match.If you are a Recruiter, please apply today!Colorado employees will receive paid sick leave. For additional information about available benefits, please contact Linda EsquivelChavez -

   Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

   
   
   CyberCoders, Inc is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   Your Right to Work – In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right executive recruiter for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with executive recruiters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit executive recruiters who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with executive recruiter candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 executive recruiter

   Once you've found the executive recruiter candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new executive recruiter first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire an executive recruiter?