You may be an expert on interviewing other people for jobs, but do you know what to do when the tables are turned? Even for the most experienced recruiter, talking about yourself and your accomplishments can be uncomfortable. Covering everything from job offers to brand building, interview questions for recruiter positions can get very specific—and challenging. But like with all new skills, put in a little time to practice, and you’ll be answering recruiter interview questions like the pro you are.

Get ready for your next recruiter job interview with these sample recruiting interview questions and answers.

6 Key Recruiter Interview Questions

1. What advantages do we offer as an employer that you would emphasize to a candidate?
2. What strategies do you use to build your personal brand?
3. What do you do when a chosen candidate isn’t happy with the job offer?
4. How do you determine if a candidate is a good fit for the position?
5. How do you structure a job interview?
6. What are the most insightful recruiting interview questions and why?

Recruiter Interview Question #1: What Advantages Do We Offer as an Employer That You Would Emphasize to a Candidate?

In your interview, show that you’ve done your research about the employer and that you understand how to sell the company to job candidates.

• Go beyond the company’s slogan or the first few words on their website.
• While all employees appreciate generous salaries and benefit packages, it’s better to showcase your understanding of the company as a whole, for example the company culture and mission.

How You Could Answer:

“Candidates nowadays are looking for more than career fulfillment and high salaries. Many also want to feel that they make a difference at work. Your company’s mission to produce sustainable clothes is a big selling point, as well as the collaborative work culture and the open-door policy. Of course, I’d also mention the generous benefits package and the ability to work remotely.”

Recruiter Interview Question #2: What Strategies Do You Use to Build Your Personal Brand?

Before you sell candidates on the company, you’ll need to recruit them to apply to the position. Having a strong personal brand is essential as you’ll be the first point of contact for candidates. Your personal brand represents yourself and the company, which is why it’s important to them.

• The first step is to determine what image you want to project. If this is new to you, get some ideas from our article on how to build a personal brand.
• Describe how you project this image and what resources you use (social media, networking, etc).

How You Could Answer:

“First I decide what image I want to project, making sure that it’s authentic while also aligned with our industry values. Then I make sure everything reflects this, from my social media presence to my voice mail greeting. Since we’re recruiting candidates for the travel industry, I usually mention my vacation in my out-of-the-office message, for example ‘I’m out of the office hiking in Peru’, and tweet pictures from my trips, in addition to HR and business-related content.”

Recruiter Interview Question #3: What Do You Do When a Chosen Candidate Isn’t Happy With the Job Offer?

One big part of your job as a recruiter is negotiation. Your interviewer will want to know how you negotiate and how skilled you are at it.

• Say that clear communication is key in recruiting and that you would ask the candidate what’s holding them back—another job offer? A need for greater flexibility?
• Discuss your negotiation tactics, for example how and when to offer a higher salary when that is an option.
• Mention that you know employees value other factors as well, including benefits, flexible work schedules, and remote work.

How You Could Answer:

“I always communicate clearly with my candidates. I would ask them what’s holding them back. Then I’d discuss making a better offer with the employer. Sometimes it’s about more salary, other times it could be a detail such as accommodating a flexible work schedule. If the candidate is having clear doubts about the position, however, it can be better to let them go than hiring someone who will leave after a couple of months.”

Recruiter Interview Question #4: How Do You Determine if a Candidate Is a Good Fit for the Position?

The ability to evaluate a candidate’s skillset and personality is crucial to your job as a recruiter. Interview questions for recruiters are almost guaranteed to ask you about this, so make sure to have a detailed answer.

• Describe what you look for first, like an intention to grow with the company, the required skillset, past experience, and character traits.
• Describe the different methods you use to evaluate if a candidate has these skills.
• Say that you try to screen for the candidate’s interest in the position as well, for example to ask for the salary they expect when appropriate.
• Mention that longevity matters as well; you want to find a candidate who is motivated to work for and grow with the company.

How You Could Answer:

“The right candidate has a good combination of the right skills, education, experience, and personality. When it comes to character traits, I evaluate these based on the references and our interactions, not how they describe themselves. I look for someone who is polite and responds quickly in our interactions, is organized, don’t make any mistakes in the application package or emails, and seems relatively at ease during the interview.

I also look for a candidate who seems motivated to work here, asks insightful questions during the interview, and isn’t overqualified for the job or the pay. I want a candidate who will accept our offer and intends to grow with the company.”

Recruiter Interview Question #5: How Do You Structure a Job Interview?

Being able to structure a job interview is one of the key responsibilities of a recruiter, so make sure to have a detailed answer about your interviewing process.

• Mention that you ease candidates into the interview and leave the harder questions for the end.
• Say that you know the candidate is also screening the employer, and end the interview with a brief pitch.
• End by explaining the next steps in the process.

How You Could Answer:

“I start with brief introductions of the people on the call or in the room (often, they will introduce themselves). The candidate will already have their titles and names, but they will briefly discuss their experience at the company. I usually save the more challenging questions for the end, once the candidate is warmed up.

I’m aware that a good candidate will also be screening us. I include a brief pitch about our advantages as an employer in the beginning or end of the interview. I end by explaining the next step to the process to demonstrate our respect for candidates and our emphasis on clear communication.”

Recruiter Interview Question #6: What Are the Most Insightful Recruiting Interview Questions? Why?

Answering interview questions for a recruiter position while being interviewed can result in a few awkward moments. Prepare in advance with these strategies.

• Avoid mentioning questions that you don’t want to answer during your interview or questions you were already asked but feel you didn’t answer well.
• Make sure not to criticize any recruiting interview questions that the interviewer asked.
• Pick something beyond the top 10 most common interview questions to show that you can think beyond the basics, but not a complete outlier. Take a look at these 100 interview questions if you need ideas.
• Describe why the question is important and what answer you’re looking for. This gives an employer insight into how you choose candidates.

How You Could Answer:

“Behavioral recruiting interview questions are important to judge a candidate’s character. For example, I like to ask them to describe a situation in the past where the candidate’s work was criticized. Some will dodge this question and says it hasn’t happened; I will then ask them to respond to a hypothetical situation. I’m looking for what kind of mistakes they have made in the past (some will bring up clear wrongdoing), what steps they took to correct them, and how they handle criticism and embrace growth.”

Connect With Recruiters on Monster

Get ready to answer recruiter interview questions by finding your next job on Monster. Start by uploading your resume to our database where over 14,000 companies—and other recruiters—search for candidates, and sign up for notifications when employers add new job openings in recruiting.