How to hire a personnel recruiter

How to hire a personnel recruiter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step personnel 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 personnel recruiter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new personnel 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 personnel recruiter you need to hire. Certain personnel 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 personnel 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 presents personnel recruiter salaries for various positions.

   Type of Personnel Recruiter	Description	Hourly rate
   Personnel 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	$17-33
   Staffing Coordinator	A staffing coordinator is responsible for assisting the staffing needs of an organization, organizing the hiring process, and monitoring the working schedule of staff to ensure smooth operations. Staffing coordinators often coordinate with recruiting agencies for staffing solutions to fill roles and process onboarding... Show more	$14-29
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Background Checks
   • Human Resources
   • Career Fairs
   • Community Colleges
   • Reference Checks
   • Cold Calls
   • Personnel Recruitment
   • Travel Arrangements
   • EEO
   • Local Community
   • Drug Screens
   • Linkedin
   • Market Research
   • Exit Interviews

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Utilize ATS (applicant tracking software) for organizational recruiting efforts, reviewing applicant information and managing open requisitions.
   • Present and prepare PowerPoint presentations on various topics to educate colleagues in the office and operate WebEx technology for conference calls.
   • Manage employee's personnel files and maintain accurate up to date confidential client files to ensure compliance with HIPPA.

   More personnel recruiter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your personnel recruiter job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A personnel 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 a personnel recruiter in North Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level personnel recruiter usually earns less than a senior-level personnel recruiter. Additionally, a personnel 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 personnel recruiter salary

   $51,356yearly

   $24.69 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level personnel recruiter salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average personnel recruiter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$70,983	$34
   2	California	$68,353	$33
   3	New York	$64,047	$31
   4	Massachusetts	$61,014	$29
   5	New Jersey	$56,620	$27
   6	Texas	$51,098	$25
   7	Illinois	$50,855	$24
   8	Georgia	$49,580	$24
   9	Delaware	$49,321	$24
   10	Wisconsin	$48,773	$23
   11	Missouri	$47,574	$23
   12	Louisiana	$45,763	$22
   13	Pennsylvania	$45,037	$22
   14	Florida	$42,747	$21
   15	Michigan	$40,947	$20

   Average personnel recruiter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cigniti Technologies	$65,158	$31.33
   2	Fujitsu	$64,519	$31.02
   3	Keane	$63,172	$30.37
   4	LG Electronics	$58,767	$28.25
   5	Computer Enterprises	$56,650	$27.24
   6	Droisys	$54,479	$26.19
   7	Winkler	$53,019	$25.49
   8	Pinstripes	$52,814	$25.39
   9	IPC	$52,345	$25.17
   10	Pasona N A	$52,263	$25.13
   11	Proficient Health	$51,806	$24.91
   12	VIBGYOR Group of Schools	$51,708	$24.86
   13	Hold Brothers Capital	$51,603	$24.81
   14	System Soft Technologies India Pvt	$51,590	$24.80
   15	RGBSI	$51,083	$24.56
   16	Tioga	$50,939	$24.49
   17	Northpoint	$50,684	$24.37
   18	Kforce	$50,656	$24.35	19
   19	Google via Artech Information Systems	$50,551	$24.30	7
   20	Our Lady of the Lake	$50,290	$24.18

4. Writing a personnel recruiter job description

   A personnel recruiter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a personnel recruiter job description:

   Personnel recruiter job description example

   **Support the MPT&E enterprise Transformation and Modernization efforts**
   
   Navy Manpower Personnel Training and Education (MPT&E) Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Transformation and modernization efforts are to enhance Fleet Readiness, reduce cost, drive data-based workforce decision making, and improve Navy HR support for Sailors and their families through:
   
   + Operations - Executing HR programs that increase process efficiency and improve Sailor career development by providing HR Services whenever and wherever Sailors need it most.
   
   + Modern HR Service Delivery - Launching a new HR Operations center, shared service capabilities, and transactional HR support to Sailors, bringing Navy HR Operations into the 21st century and meeting the complex and unique needs of Sailors and their families.
   
   + Technology - Modernizing Navy HR systems by establishing an Authoritative Data Environment (ADE), standing up a core suite of integrated MPT&E systems (i.e., Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) Cloud-based solutions), and developing streamlined operations, optimized data management processes, driving efficiency, and allowing Sailors to conduct personnel matters with ease.
   
   This vision includes working with new and emerging technologies, as well as maintaining functional and technical documentation on existing systems. The objectives of the MPT&E modernization is to increase operational effectiveness and efficiency in the MPT&E Human Resource Management (HRM) line of business, to provide HR services at less cost, and to meet audit requirements for the accountability of government resources.
   
   **Work Locations** : Millington TN, Arlington VA Pensacola FL and some roles will be eligible for remote/teleworking flexibility
   
   _Contract start date is contingent upon award in Winter 2022._
   
   **Apply today to stay up to date with our team, as we receive more information.**
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + Minimum requirements will vary based on role, level, education and experience.
   
   + US Citizenship is required.
   
   + Some roles will be eligible for remote/teleworking flexibility.
   
   + Roles require a minimum of an Interim Secret Security clearance.
   
   + Cyber Security Workforce (CSWF) IAT I & IAT II requirements vary based on role.
   
   **Positions will be available in the following skill area:**
   
   + **Program Management** (CMMI, Lean, Six Sigma)
   
   + **Project Management** (Scrum agile and enterprise BPR project management)
   
   + **Business Analyst** (enterprise business analytics, business intelligence, business case analysis)
   
   + **Technical Writer**
   
   + **PeopleSoft Developer / Administrator**
   
   + **Cyber / IA** (eMASS, RMF, STIG)
   
   + **Test engineer**
   
   Target salary range: $75,001 - $100,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.
   
   REQNUMBER: 2213426-FLEXWORK-DC
   
   SAIC is a premier technology integrator, solving our nation's most complex modernization and systems engineering challenges across the defense, space, federal civilian, and intelligence markets. Our robust portfolio of offerings includes high-end solutions in systems engineering and integration; enterprise IT, including cloud services; cyber; software; advanced analytics and simulation; and training. We are a team of 23,000 strong driven by mission, united purpose, and inspired by opportunity. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For information on the benefits SAIC offers, see Working at SAIC. EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find personnel recruiters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit personnel recruiters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 personnel recruiter

   Once you've decided on a perfect personnel recruiter candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new personnel 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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