Good Questions to Ask on an Interview for Recruiting Roles...

Hi Folks! Long time no see! I am on the market looking for recruiting jobs with a twist (done with agency recruiting and looking into Corporate Recruiting or Admissions Recruiting roles.) I want to make the best, most informed decision possible, so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what questions I could ask during an interview to determine if the company suites me and make sure they're not a bunch of crazy people.

I've worked at 4 different recruiting companies, the last one being the best one but, alas, the economy took it's toll and my job. I'm trying to avoid scenarios that I have faced in the past. Specifically, I don't want to work with anyone openly racist and vocal about it, I don't want to step into a company with a database that has not been kept up, and I don't want to be in a company with bad branding and almost no client base.

If there are any corporate recruiters on the site reading this, if you have any suggestions of what to look for or what pitfalls to avoid in corporate recruiting jobs--that would be awesome. Thanks, guys!

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Permalink Reply by See_Jane_Recruit on August 2, 2009 at 9:44pm

Thanks, Rayanne! All good questions, but what is a TPR? So many acronyms in this field--it's hard to keep track!
Rayanne said:

Hi Jane~

I worked the corporate side for a bit and loved it...

However, there are indeed pitfalls/questions to be wary of. When interviewing, I would specifically ask about the recruiting department budget and how it is supported. How long has the department been established? Are you the one establishing it? What type of CRM or ATS is in place? Have they worked with TPRs in the past and what is that policy? In the past, what has been their most difficult recruitment? Do they support direct recruiting and if so, have they received any flack from competitors? Is the recruiting manager/recruiter part of any cross-functional teams? How quickly are req's expected to be filled? Are there any bills the company isn't paying? Are there any bonuses tied to performance? How open are the HMs within the company to meeting with you/the recruiter regularly?

There are many questions to consider..., as you can see? Most important are your budget and support.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Nuroo on August 3, 2009 at 9:20am

Hey Jane,

I think you just need to be sure as to the reasons you want to join the Corporate game. I've been doing it for 7 years, and there is a big difference, and it just isn't the sales focus (BTW, I still need to have a sales focus).

I'd be talking around expectations, where Recruitment sits within the organisation, ie is it respected or hidden under HR or worse Finance!

The answer I hate when interview is "I hated the sales, but loved the relationship side" weak answer, it has to be more than that, as both are hand in hand.

Happy to chat one on one if you wish

cheers

Dan

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Permalink Reply by See_Jane_Recruit on August 3, 2009 at 9:48am

Okay, so what would you guys say are the main differences between agency recruiting and corporate recruiting. I feel like I have a pretty good idea but I sure would appreciate some extra insight! What are the biggest responsibilities a corporate recruiter has to carry out? What skills should I have? Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Peter Ceccarelli on August 3, 2009 at 2:30pm

I have been on the corporate side of the fence for just about 2 decades. I did TPR for about a minute or so a few years ago. The big difference is the "numbers" part of the show. The pressure is different on the corporate side of the fence. First and foremost if a company is committed to having recruiting as an internal part of HR that is usually a good indicator that it's a value added discipline, rather than assigning it to the HR Generalist (which most hate recruiting), or using TPR.

Some of the internal concerns are fill time, sense or urgency, cost containment, only hiring local when you should be looking nationally for some positions but the company won't committ to relocation budget, being an expert in the area that you either support (specific departments), or the industry that your company is in is HUGE. I find that someone who's never done marketing, or internet ecommerce as an example, but lets say just Accounting and Finance would not be a resume I would consider for my company's specific disciplines. So you should focus on companies with positions that are similar to your background. Then sell your success stories, most difficult positions you've ever hired, etc., in the interview.

Another aspect that IS similar to TPR is relationship building. Typically if recruiting is a new function of the internal HR department and the hiring managers have never had support, it takes time to build credibility. They view you as a rare animal at a zoo and aren't sure what to call you. But once you have success and traction, and are able to effectively LEAD them by the nose through the entire process because you have to lead hiring managers by the nose in order to keep the process going. I would say you would want to talk that part of your background up as a value you would bring to the table.

Good luck!

See_Jane_Recruit said:

Okay, so what would you guys say are the main differences between agency recruiting and corporate recruiting. I feel like I have a pretty good idea but I sure would appreciate some extra insight! What are the biggest responsibilities a corporate recruiter has to carry out? What skills should I have? Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by See_Jane_Recruit on August 4, 2009 at 6:36pm

Lol. A rare animal at the zoo... Great insight! I really appreciate it.

Peter Ceccarelli said:

I have been on the corporate side of the fence for just about 2 decades. I did TPR for about a minute or so a few years ago. The big difference is the "numbers" part of the show. The pressure is different on the corporate side of the fence. First and foremost if a company is committed to having recruiting as an internal part of HR that is usually a good indicator that it's a value added discipline, rather than assigning it to the HR Generalist (which most hate recruiting), or using TPR.

Some of the internal concerns are fill time, sense or urgency, cost containment, only hiring local when you should be looking nationally for some positions but the company won't committ to relocation budget, being an expert in the area that you either support (specific departments), or the industry that your company is in is HUGE. I find that someone who's never done marketing, or internet ecommerce as an example, but lets say just Accounting and Finance would not be a resume I would consider for my company's specific disciplines. So you should focus on companies with positions that are similar to your background. Then sell your success stories, most difficult positions you've ever hired, etc., in the interview.

Another aspect that IS similar to TPR is relationship building. Typically if recruiting is a new function of the internal HR department and the hiring managers have never had support, it takes time to build credibility. They view you as a rare animal at a zoo and aren't sure what to call you. But once you have success and traction, and are able to effectively LEAD them by the nose through the entire process because you have to lead hiring managers by the nose in order to keep the process going. I would say you would want to talk that part of your background up as a value you would bring to the table.

Good luck!

See_Jane_Recruit said:
Okay, so what would you guys say are the main differences between agency recruiting and corporate recruiting. I feel like I have a pretty good idea but I sure would appreciate some extra insight! What are the biggest responsibilities a corporate recruiter has to carry out? What skills should I have? Thanks!