101⟩ Tell me what would get in the way of you presenting me to the client?
This can open up a franker discussion about your quality as a candidate.
Recruitment Consultant
Home HR Recruitment Consultant
“Recruitment Consultant based Frequently Asked Questions in various Recruitment Consultant job interviews by interviewer. These professional questions are here to ensures that you offer a perfect answers posed to you. So get preparation for your new job hunting”
122 Recruitment Consultant Questions And Answers
102⟩ Do you know what is the company's dress code?
You want to appear to fit in with the company culture. If you dress too smart, you could be out of synch with the interviewer and the company; too casual and you'll risk appearing slovenly or unprofessional.
103⟩ Explain why did the last person leave?
This gives you a sense of what may be available within a company. If the last person in the role was promoted, that's probably a good sign.
104⟩ Tell me starting off in Recruitment?
Entry-level into Recruitment will be as a Resourcer/Researcher or as a Trainee Consultant. Training will vary between companies but all GGL clients have been picked because they offer excellent training programs. Many of our clients have achieved Investors in People status.
Most companies will initially give you a mix of on-the-job, internal and external training conducted by recruitment and industry specialists with the aim of arming you with the necessary tools and expertise to put you at the top of your game and ahead of your competitors.
Typically in the initial stages of your role, you will be more candidate focused and your role will be to generate candidates until you learn and become more comfortable in your sector. This is where your natural persuasion skills will come into play as you gain the candidates trust and exclusivity to use the services of yourself and your company only.
105⟩ Explain why is the role open?
It's often worth asking this to find out if the role is a new one or you're replacing a leaver. If the role is new, it could mean the company is expanding, which indicates they are financially stable. However, it also means there could be some trial and error if no one has done this particular job before.
106⟩ Explain how would you handle a candidate you wouldn't want to refer to any of your clients?
The important thing to remember is that the client is the one who foots the bill. You never want to demoralize an applicant, but you can't waste the client's time by sending them candidates you know you wouldn't hire yourself. So this question is designed to determine whether you can diplomatically turn down an unsuitable candidate. There are several ways you can answer this question, but a solid standby is always, "We don't have anything that's a good fit right now, but we'll hang on to your resume and give you a call as soon as something pops up."
107⟩ Tell me what is the purpose and importance of recruitment?
The purpose of recruitment is to:
☛ Attract the maximum number of candidates to the organization and encourage them to apply
☛ Create strong database and select the best candidate for the position
☛ Ascertain the current and future manpower requirements of the organization
☛ Make the hiring exercise a cost effective one
Importance of recruitment is:
☛ To identify the potential candidates within the organization for future man power requirements
☛ To identify the outside candidates and hire them to meet the man power requirements
☛ To establish various sources of candidates
☛ To help in increasing the success of hiring process
108⟩ Tell us will you present us to the client?
Sometimes consultants will not present you and will not tell you why. A good consultant will tell you why they won't. A poor one will leave you hanging.
109⟩ Tell us what would you like to be doing five years from now?
The safest answer contains a desire to be regarded as a true professional and team player. As far as promotion, that depends on finding a manager with whom you can grow. Of course, you will ask what opportunities exist within the company before being any more specific: "From my research and what you have told me about the growth here, it seems operations is where the heavy emphasis is going to be. It seems that's where you need the effort and where I could contribute toward the company's goals." Or, "I have always felt that first-hand knowledge and experience open up opportunities that one might never have considered, so while at this point in time I plan to be a part of [e.g.] operations, it is reasonable to expect that other exciting opportunities will crop up in the meantime."
110⟩ Explain how can I improve my interview skills?
Ask for feedback. Consultants interview hundreds of people. They should be able to give you one or two pointers, and, if they are presenting you to their clients, it's in their interest to do so.
111⟩ Do you know what is the Recruitment Process?
Recruitment is a dual selling process. At all stages, it is your responsibility as a Recruitment Consultant to control the sales process for your candidates and clients, ensuring that you are making placements and earning yourself some good commission in the process!
There are many steps in the Recruitment process. These are outlined in brief below:
Initially in recruitment, the role is mostly phone based while you build your business generating clients and candidates through
☛ Cold calling businesses to win their business
☛ Generating candidates through networking, referrals, database searching, head hunting and lead generation.
This phone work is particularly important because as the industry moves at such a pace, the majority of your business will be carried out over the phone with some face-to-face client meetings and both internal and external candidate meetings.
You will be constantly gathering information by asking open questions to find out your client and candidate needs, matching the requirements, interviewing on the phone and face to face, arranging interviews, helping prepare and taking feedback from clients and candidates, managing offers and generally ensuring that the process runs smoothly for all parties!
112⟩ Tell me what's it like on the other side of the table? What's the difference between being a recruiter and being a candidate?
The interviewer wants to know if you can transfer the things you've learned from being a recruiter to your position as a candidate. What recruiter competencies make you shine as a candidate? Conversely, what's completely different about being the candidate instead of the recruiter? Any answer that illustrates a realistic understanding of the recruitment and hiring process should be just fine. This question is just another way of making sure you know what you're doing.
113⟩ Tell me why should they take you on? What will you bring to the role?
It's really useful to have prepared a brief statement / Elevator pitch you can use.
114⟩ Tell me how would you handle a candidate who was clearly unqualified?
With this question, your interviewer is trying to find out whether you can focus on the needs of the employer without humiliating the candidate. You don't want to send the employer candidates who are clearly unsuitable, but you want to try to preserve the applicant's confidence, too. One way to answer that question is something like this: "I know this company pretty well, and I just don't think you'd be a good fit for each other. I'll look through all of our other open positions and see if there's a better match. In the meantime, you may want to consider doing X (something that provides either further credentials or additional experience)."
115⟩ Do you know what do Recruitment Consultants do?
Recruitment Consultants are sales people. Recruitment Consultants sell themselves and their service to candidates and clients, ensuring that the needs of both are met in a professional manner. Good Recruitment consultants build long-term relationships at all levels and build an excellent reputation for themselves, becoming extremely knowledgeable in their field of expertise. They become someone businesses trust to give them advice on the most vital part of their organisation - People. People are what drive a company forward and make it successful. Recruitment Consultants shape the future of the corporate world.
116⟩ Explain what should be the focus of recruitment policy of a company?
A good recruitment policy helps the organization in developing an effective recruitment process. It can be termed as the first step in developing an efficient recruitment process. A recruitment policy defines the recruitment objectives and clearly defines the framework to work within.
A good recruitment policy should focus on:
☛ Being unbiased towards all candidates
☛ Recruiting the best talent
☛ Helping the employees identify their potential
☛ Promoting transparent, merit based selection
☛ Developing cost effective recruitment process
☛ Appointing an authority for final decision
☛ Being socially, politically, legally and economically friendly
117⟩ Tell me what did you like/dislike about your last job?
The interviewer is looking for incompatibilities. If a trial lawyer says he or she dislikes arguing a point with colleagues, such a statement will only weaken - if not immediately - destroy his or her candidacy. Most interviews start with a preamble by the interviewer about the company. Pay attention: That information will help you answer the question. In fact, any statement the interviewer makes about the job or corporation can be used to your advantage.
So, in answer, you liked everything about your last job. You might even say your company taught you the importance of certain attributes from the business, achievement, or professional profile. Criticising a prior employer is a warning flag that you could be a problem employee. No one intentionally hires trouble, and that's what's behind the question.
Keep your answer short and positive. You are allowed only one negative about past employers, and only then if your interviewer has a "hot button" about his or her department or company; if so, you will have written it down on your notepad. For example, the only thing your past employer could not offer might be something like "the ability to contribute more in different areas in the smaller environment you have here." You might continue with, "I really liked everything about the job. The reason I want to leave is to find a position where I can make a greater contribution. You see, I work for a large company that encourages specialisation of skills. The smaller environment you have here will, as I said, allows me to contribute far more in different areas."
Tell them what they want to hear - replay the hot button. Of course, if you interview with a large company, turn it around. "I work for a small company and don't get the time to specialise in one or two major areas."
118⟩ Explain biggest challenges / set backs you have faced?
How have you dealt with them? What have you learned?
119⟩ Basic Recruitment Consultant Job Interview Questions
☛ Do you have an Executive Recruitment Brief and a Job Description? Why are they "hiring"? What's the team and reporting structure? What are the key challenges in the next 12 months in this role?
☛ What stages and assessment methods are there in the selection process? How involved are you in selection?
☛ How many CVs are you sending? Are you including me? Are there other agencies? Are there any internal candidates?
☛ Feedback on my CV? Likes and areas for improvement
☛ What's your personal track record at this level and in these industries?
☛ Do you meet your clients in person? HR or Business contacts?
☛ How would you describe the culture and environment with your client?
☛ Are any of your jobs retained, co-branded, exclusive or repeat business?
☛ How will we keep in touch?
☛ Would you like to meet me? Would you like any references?
☛ What are your organisations values? Why do you like your job?
☛ What can I do for you?
120⟩ Trainee recruitment consultant interview questions
☛ Why do you want to work in recruitment?
☛ How long do you think it takes to reach the consultant role or the lead consultant role?
☛ Give an example of how you're competitive, and don't use athletics in your answer.
☛ Are you looking for a career that challenges you every day?
☛ Do you have experience of working in business-to-business sales?
☛ Sell me this pen.
