Imagine an average company in this era. Not Google or BP, not Apple or Toyota. Just an average company from IT, automotive, or any other field of economy. Such company struggles greatly to hire new talent. Or to hire anyone. Hence the growth of recruiter profession, hence the number of job openings for recruiters…
Ten years ago, corporations expected a lot of skills from a good candidate for Recruiter job. They should know how to lead the interviews effectively, how to find the right match for the job. They should be strong in cooperation with HR managers. Nowadays, only one skill truly matters–your sourcing abilities. Whether you are able to find the job candidates, and somehow convince them to at least interview for a job with the company.
And while companies often hope for miracle (even the best recruiter in the world won’t find any decent programmer in the city, unless they can match the salary offer of their competitors, the more popular companies), their HR managers do not realize it, and they will still try to hire you for a job of a Recruiter–hoping to see you perform the miracle :).
- Why are you interested in this role? …
- What do you know about our company? …
- How has your internship experience prepared you for the position you’re applying to? …
- What classwork has best prepared you for this role? …
- How would you assess your writing and communication skills?
Tips to Ace Your Recruiting Interview
What other companies are you interviewing with?
Some hiring managers will go a step further and ask for specific companies you’re talking to. You don’t have to reveal company names but be prepared for this question.
To respond, you can say:
Of course, if you want to tell your interviewer what other companies you’re interviewing with, go ahead. But it’s not necessary and you shouldn’t let them push you into it. Just prepare ahead of time and practice the response above.
When are you available to start?
As a candidate, always be ready to explain when you’ll be available to start. Mention any notice you need to give a current employer, any vacations you have planned, etc.
It also doesn’t look great to say, “I could start immediately.”
So at minimum, I recommend you say:
Warning: This question is a major trap and you have very little to gain by naming a specific number… at least until you know they want to offer you the job.
Until then, if you name a number that’s higher than they’re looking to pay, they could end the interview process or say it’s not a fit.
As a recruiter, I’ve seen this happen as early as the phone interview.
Whereas, if you had waited to share your target salary until they had gotten to know your skills a bit better, they may have been able to be flexible in their budget and pay what you wanted.
At the same time, if you answer this question and say a number that’s too low, it could cost you in the negotiation later.
I have a detailed article on answering, “What’s your desired salary?” here. I recommend reading it since this will help you throughout your whole career.
That article has an exact script for how to respond and avoid giving a number, while still sounding polite and professional.
How has your job search been going?
Next, the hiring manager or recruiter may simply ask how your job hunt is going.
You want to sound positive and optimistic, whether you’re just starting out or whether you’ve been searching for a few months and are still looking for a good fit.
Here’s an example answer:
