What’s the difference between HR and a Recruiter? And Why You Should Care?

Speaking to an audience recently, I realized the attendees had no idea what a recruiter did and often confused them with HR.

In fact, no one understood exactly who gets their resume when and where they send it off.

When asked they answered, “HR or a computer.”

Which was the whole inspiration for this post.  We’ll have another one about monkeys in your head, but that’s for on another day.  Today, let me explain who the players are on the field, so you can get into the employment game.

HR people are process driven.  They help with benefits, onboarding, and the compliance of rules in an organization.  This is usually a different person than you did the phone screen with before you got the job – for this reason HR has an entirely different skill set.

Recruiters are diggers.  Recruiters are hunters.  Sometimes they are called ‘head hunters’  – for a goodreason.

Mostly importantly, recruiters are often offended when confused with HR.  They are expected to be well networked and dig through the minutiae of the internet to find YOU.  They aren’t good at process for the most part and may like to stretch a rule to the breaking point.  They push boundaries.

Generally!

HR on the other hand is the company mediator on site.  They are a guide.  They help you through process.  They also plan the annual Christmas party.

Another analogy I can give to really hammer home this point is to look at engineering.  Not all engineers do the same thing, and to lump them in one bucket wouldn’t be correct, and might offend them.

Some engineers design.  Some sustain.  Some de-bug.  Some develop.  Some test.  Some deal with clients and customers.  Others never do.  But I wouldn’t just call all them  engineers and leave it at that.  The title actually means something in engineering, the same way it does in HR.

HR is a blanket for many skills that lie under it.

While an applicant may get passed off to different parties during the hiring process, understanding their role and function is important.

First of all it allows you to assess your audience, allowing you to ask the right questions to the right people so you get the right responses.  Secondly, you won’t be so frustrated with the process if you understood their function.

HR cannot do what recruiters do and vice versa.

However, together they make a good team.  And, make sure you’re hired.