Recruitment Consultant interview questions and answers

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Recruitment Consultant Interview Questions

Think of the recruitment consultant’s duties as a blend of sales and recruiting. They’ll generate new business by finding companies who need assistance in staffing. Then, they’ll match job seekers to positions through sourcing, screening and evaluating talent.

Decide what kind of experience you’re looking for. If you’re an agency in temporary employment or a particular industry (e.g. healthcare), you may prefer candidates with relevant experience or degrees. Of course, you can also invest in bright graduates with an aptitude in sales and customer service, training them in recruiting and sourcing methods.

Apart from sales skills, assess teamwork and problem-solving. A professional and confident appearance will help them earn the trust of both job seekers and employers. Writing skills are useful if you expect them to write copy for advertisements. The best candidates will show ample motivation, persuading you that they are comfortable with targets and working independently.

Operational and Situational questions

• How would you go about generating new business?
• What questions would you ask to understand the client’s requirements?
• If an angry client called you to complain about a candidate you suggested, how would you handle it?
• How would you handle a candidate who isn’t a good fit for the position they applied to?
• What would you do if you hadn’t found any qualified applicants for a position and your client was getting impatient?
• Imagine a client wants to hire a candidate who you think won’t be a good fit. How do you handle this? How would you “sell” someone you think is a great candidate to a company that has doubts?
• Can you persuade me to use your services in under three minutes?

Role-specific questions

• What’s your experience in sales? Have you worked in B2B?
• Are you comfortable with cold-calling?
• Why do you like recruitment?
• How familiar are you with databases?
• What are some ways you could use to source candidates?
• What screening techniques are you aware of?
• How would you rate your writing skills?
• Do you prefer working independently or under supervision?
• Do you use social media? How would you use them for recruiting or finding clients?

Behavioral questions

• Recall a time you had difficulties filling a position. How did you manage?
• Describe the most effective recruiter you’ve known
• Tell me about a time you failed to provide excellent customer service. What should you have done differently?
• Give me an example of a time you disagreed with a client. How did you resolve it?
• Recall a time you had to face a stressful situation. How did you manage?