Every business is competing to gain and keep top talent. Often a challenging process, hiring employees is not as smooth as it should be. This is typically the result of a breakdown in communication among HR and recruiters.

This is an entirely preventable and reversible issue that needs to be addressed before it gets out of hand. Businesses need to learn how to get these departments to work together. By bridging the gap between these two essential jobs, companies can build their dream teams. Collectively, they will be better at finding and keeping qualified employees. To start, companies must recognize that HR and recruiters are not the same. 

How to Build a Connection Between HR and Recruiters

HR and recruiting can help your company achieve its goals. But only after meeting their own intentions first. Your hiring process cannot work without a healthy connection between HR and recruiters. It takes time to form the proper communication and trust necessary for this link to develop. But it can happen. There must be an understanding of what the duties are for HR and recruiters, which are not the same.

The Difference Between HR and Recruiters

To improve communication between the two departments, the company must recognize their differences. Businesses need to outline goals and expectations to help everyone work better together.

What Do Recruiters Do?

Recruiters have many responsibilities. Their primary focus is on the hiring process. Recruiting is either in-house or outsourced to a staffing agency. In either case, recruiters find candidates to fill specific roles at a company. 

Recruiters also handle:

• Identify future hiring needs of businesses

• Design job descriptions

• Source candidates through databases and social media

• Conduct interviews

• File paperwork

• Keep up-to-date on employment laws and legislation

What Does HR Do?

Once the company hires a candidate, recruiters are no longer involved. Instead, they pass the torch on to HR professionals to train and keep employees at the company. As workers rise in the business, HR is to have an on-going working relationship with each. They must connect employees with the company they work with.

HR also handles:

• Employee relations

• Payroll

• Benefits

• Policy formulation

• Employee and labor relations

• Risk management

Although, at times, there may be some overlap, most of the duties differ for each department.

Tips on How HR and Recruiters can Work Together

HR and recruiters who work together improve the productivity of the hiring process. Teamwork can develop an onboarding strategy and build a strong employer reputation.

Five Ways to Improve the Relationship Between HR and Recruiters

1. Developing a Relationship

Before any relationship can become stronger, it must first exist. The best way to form relationships is by working with the same team or individuals. Companies need to consider hiring a corporate recruiter.

Corporate recruiters are more engaged and aligned with the company’s culture. This allows them to focus more on the quality of the candidates versus quantity, ultimately shortening the hiring process.

Recruiters and HR need to collaborate to work on recruiting and staffing plans. Formal and informal interactions, like meetings and lunch breaks, need to happen. The company should coordinate communications to engage the teams to strengthen relationships.

2. Define Who Does What

To develop a dream team at your company, you need to outline job duties and expectations. Recruiters and HR cannot work well together with only a generalized list of duties. Assigning duties can stimulate work consistency and create a better experience for everyone. 

Your business needs to not only avoid a loss in productivity but minimize confrontations too. The more your employees feel involved in their job, the better they can manage their duties. Incorporate an outline of how the departments can work together. This will help prevent confusion and heighten professionalism.

3. Develop Recruitment Strategies Together

HR and recruiters must have an on-going relationship. The two departments will need to come together often. Your company must design and incorporate streamlined processes, including:

• Create the most effective strategies for recruiting

• Talent acquisition and staffing

• Recruitment marketing

• Social media recruiting—LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram

• How to engage with each community

• Job boards—Indeed, Monster, Careerbuilder

• Fairs—Jobs fairs, career fairs, and college fairs

• Database search—Use the database search to find talent to get a list of qualified names.

4. Share and Discuss Analytics

HR and recruiters should meet often to share and discuss analytics. Together, HR and recruiters should review recruitment strategies to determine if they work. They can ask questions and make the necessary adjustments. Data is essential in making vital decisions.

Examples of data-driven decisions:

• Open more recruitment marketing channels

• Check if performance evaluations are necessary

• Conduct exit interviews

• Introducing recruitment surveys 

Data can help both teams in understanding how to improve the recruiting process. They can show areas of effectiveness.

5. Respect 

One of the most critical aspects of connecting HR with recruiters and vice versa is through mutual respect. Everyone needs to know what each team does for the company. Neither of them can become the assistant of the other. As mentioned, the outline of the duties of HR and recruiters is essential. Inform staff that recruiters are a part of the hiring process and company. Although they are a separate department, they need to feel included.

Conclusion

Many companies continue to struggle to find the talent they need. HR and recruiters can work together to meet their goals and those of the company. Ensure the two departments are working harmoniously together. In doing so, they can boost productivity and strategies that attract top talent.