How to Become a Freelance Recruiter: a Technology-Driven Guide

Sometimes, as a recruiter, you may feel like you’ve hit the ceiling as you face limitations set by your employer like the types of positions you can fill, the clients you can work with, and the commission structures that dictate your earning potential. Taking the path of a freelance recruiter and running your own business opens a world of possibilities, and gives you the freedom to choose your clients, define your niche, and set your own hours.

For example, the lookout for the tech industry shows a lot of good opportunities. The demand for software developers is predicted to expand by 21%, while the machine learning market is forecasted to grow from $7.3 billion in 2020 to a whopping $30.6 billion in 2024. [1] If you’ve been thinking about starting your own recruiting business, now is the perfect time to make a move. But saying is easier than done. How should you make the first step? What do you have to prepare? We’ll explore the answers to these questions in this article. Let’s get right to it!

What is a Freelance Recruiter?

A freelance recruiter - sometimes called a freelance recruiter or recruitment consultant - specializes in helping organizations find and hire the right candidates for their open positions. Independent recruiters work as self-employed individuals or as part of a smaller recruitment firm, and typically offer their services to a range of clients in various industries under the form of RPO or Recruiting Consultant.

They are responsible for sourcing and screening candidates, coordinating interviews, and negotiating offers and salaries on behalf of their clients. Unlike internal recruiters who are employed by a specific organization, freelance recruiters have more flexibility in their work and can work with multiple clients at the same time. Your job as an independent recruiter is to understand the hiring needs of your clients and then tap into your professional network to locate the most suitable candidates.

You’ll be responsible for creating job postings based on the skills your client needs, running recruitment campaigns, and performing preliminary assessments to narrow down your top candidates.

Most independent recruiters first gain the required experience by working for an HR department as a recruiter, or they may have even worked directly for a staffing agency before starting out on their own. To be successful as a freelance recruiter, you need to have exceptional communication skills, an expansive professional network, and a firm grasp of modern HR technology.

To become a freelance recruiter, here’s a learning path you should follow:

• Identifying target markets: Learn how to identify key industries and organizations to target for recruitment, and understand the specific skills and qualifications that are in demand within those markets.
• Building a personal brand: Develop a strong professional brand through online platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook. Create a compelling profile that showcases your expertise and recruitment services.
• Networking skills: Cultivate strong networking skills by attending industry events, career fairs, and online webinars. Join professional organizations and groups to expand your connections.
• Resume screening techniques: Learn how to effectively screen resumes and how to quickly identify red flags or standout qualifications that align with job requirements.
• Interviewing strategies: Study best practices for conducting interviews, including behavioral and competency-based interviewing methods to assess the candidates better.
• Active sourcing techniques: Master the art of active sourcing through various platforms, such as job boards, social media, and professional networks, to cast a wider net on potential candidates.
• Understanding employment laws: Gain knowledge about relevant labor laws, compliance with equal employment opportunity regulations, and fair hiring practices to avoid legal pitfalls.
• Negotiation skills: Develop strong negotiation skills to manage salary discussions and offer terms between candidates and employers like a pro.
• Market trends and analysis: Keep up with the latest trends in recruitment, hiring demand, and skills shortages in your focus areas to better serve your clients and candidates.
• Developing Marketing Skills: Acquire marketing skills to effectively promote job openings and your recruitment services through various channels, including social media and targeted advertising.

Where to Start: Business Plan for a Freelance Recruiter

Finding Clients

The foundation of a stable recruitment business is as good as the client base. So, how to get clients for a recruitment agency? There are many ways to work around it. For a starter, you can network, leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn, or attend industry-related events and conferences. Referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations are also the keys to new clients. So, don’t forget to build a solid connection with hiring managers, HR professionals, and industry leaders.  Also, it’s a good idea to create a professional website that showcases your expertise, services, and success stories to attract potential clients. Engaging in targeted outreach, such as cold emailing or calling prospective companies that could benefit from recruitment services, is another way to build a client base.

Building Revenue

When it comes to recruitment fees, it’s important to set competitive pricing structures for your services. It could be based on a percentage of the candidate's salary or a flat fee per successful placement. Also, creating tiered service packages can attract a diverse group of clients. For instance, offering a more extensive search for executive positions versus a standard search for entry-level roles. Expand service offerings to include additional services such as resume writing, interview coaching, or job market consultations. This can help generate supplementary income.

Researching Tech Stack

To make sure you’re providing unmatched service as a freelance recruiter, you must keep up with the technologies and trends revolving around it. Learning about the latest hiring tools like Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or Recruitment CRM (Customer Relationship Management) goes a long way. Having the leverage of simplifying and fast-tracking the hiring process while forming a strong connection with your customers can put you in a higher place than your competitors.

A tool like Manatal is one of the best choices out there. For one, it is a cloud-based hiring software that provides an ATS system that helps you automate the candidate sourcing, screening, resume parsing, and candidate engaging processes. Plus, Manatal is also tuned with the Recruitment CRM feature, allowing you to easily manage your sales pipeline from end to end, making sure that your potential customers can smoothly turn into customers without any issues. Through Manatal, you can also allow your client access to candidates’ data, leave notes, and communicate with all stakeholders in real time.

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Conclusion

Embarking on a journey as a freelance recruiter in today's technology-driven market can be both exciting and rewarding. However, as you spread your wings and dive into this newfound freedom, it's important to ensure that you are well-prepared for the challenges ahead. Equipping yourself with the right tools, from Applicant Tracking Systems to communication software, will significantly bolster your efficiency in the recruitment process. Remember, the key to thriving as an independent recruiter lies not only in your skills and strategies but also in your ability to adapt and utilize the modern tools available to help you navigate the recruitment landscape confidently.

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Citations:

1. LinkedIn