Unless you’ve spent time working in either field, it can be hard to realize the differences between human resources and recruiting. Whenever you started or left a new job, you’ve likely worked with an HR representative. Many people assume that because HR personnel are handling these tasks, they’re also equipped to find new employees – right?

Not so fast. Human resources and recruiting are two separate jobs that require separate skillsets. At Award Staffing, we’re a company of recruiters – and we love it! We also have our own HR staff to support our team. A business looking to grow needs both to succeed.

Whether you’re planning to add more employees to your business, or you’ve had your HR person pulling double duty, it’s important to understand the differences between both roles. Doing so allows you to allocate the appropriate resources into both tasks to meet your staffing goals.

Recruiters find new employees

Recruiters work like marketers for your company, except that they’re marketing to job seekers. Their job is to tell job seekers what an awesome place your company is and why they want to work there. They will write persuasive job descriptions and create materials that attract the best talent.

Recruiters work either directly for a company or on behalf of a client who has outsourced the recruiter’s services. Recruiters do the footwork sorting through applications, contacting candidates and conducting initial interviews. This saves companies a lot of time that would have been wasted on candidates who were clearly not right for the job. Instead, only the best candidates are forwarded to the company.

A term you might hear interchangeably with recruiting is ‘staffing.’ They are similar jobs, but staffing tends to involve meeting a company’s short-term or job-based needs.

HR manages existing staff

HR handles compliance with employment law, payment and benefits, employee development, organizational design and more. HR managers are heavily involved in an employee’s experience starting at and leaving a company, and perhaps more throughout their career depending on the culture.

HR managers are not just focused on managing employment-related tasks but are also focused on improving the existing workplace culture. Many companies are looking to convey this shift in thinking by giving their HR staff titles like “Chief People Officer.”

Why you need both

Many companies, including large ones, assume that one person or one team can do both tasks, but they are distinct workflows. Once a recruiter has found a candidate and that candidate is hired, a handoff takes place from recruiter to HR.

Putting both roles on one person could hurt your company. If an HR manager is busy tracking down applicants, they have less time to focus on existing employees. If a recruiter is trying to handle employee performance reviews, they cannot focus on finding the right candidates for open positions. Companies need both roles to succeed.

If you’re worried about hiring an in-house recruiter to help with your staffing needs, the good news is that you can outsource this task. Award Staffing is here to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your staffing needs in the Twin Cities.