Are human resources business partners (HRBPs) and recruiters one and the same? Usually not, and there are actually several distinctions between the two. Once your team is big enough, growing fast, or has a lot of complexity like multiple locations, we recommend that you have both an HR leader and a recruiter, each with their own expertise.
If there’s one thing Reverb knows about, it’s HR, also known as people operations. Our team of experienced HR experts is available to support you across all of your people and culture needs. We customize every engagement to focus on your unique priorities and meet you where you are. Like you, we care deeply about people’s wellbeing and their sense of purpose. We help you align your people policies and practices with your company culture and values.
Most leading edge companies that care about creating an intentional culture understand there’s a big difference between HR and recruiting. We’ll highlight the differences here, so you can figure out how to hire the right person at the right time.
HR vs. Recruiting: Job Functions
At the most basic level, the skills and responsibilities for each role are vastly different.
What Does a Recruiter Do?
For example, a recruiter is tasked with establishing the specifics of what position the company needs filled. This includes speaking with hiring managers, researching past work (if the role is a replacement), and creating an accurate, inclusive job description to post the open position. Once the role is well defined, the recruiter is responsible for getting the word out via a variety of channels including job boards, LinkedIn, etc. They might also attend or host career fairs, or participate in college recruiting.
While a recruiter is sourcing candidates, they’re also reviewing resumes, looking for the skills, experience, and what each candidate brings to the table. A good recruiter will help you find someone who doesn’t just “fit” the culture but adds something new. They also conduct an initial screening or interview before recommending the most qualified candidates to the hiring manager.
Once a final candidate slate is ready, recruiters will facilitate interviews with the hiring manager and any other members of the team responsible for filling a role. Your recruiter will craft a competitive and compelling offer based on your pay ranges.
What Does HR Do?
Once the candidate has joined you, the HR Business Partner will handle onboarding and become their new point of contact., HR can do everything from keeping employees engaged to helping design your approach to pay and performance. HR is responsible for employee development, retention, and engagement. This includes making sure there are career growth opportunities, meaningful ways to recognize people for their contributions, and making sure pay increases, bonuses, and promotions are applied fairly and equitably.
HR can also identify training needs, both for specific job functions like new managers and for company-wide topics like unconscious bias and anti-harassment programs.
Finally, an HR Business Partner is the person who handles departures, both voluntary and involuntary. That may include exit interviews, and in more sensitive situations, helping with downsizing or management of people who are under-performing. HR’sjob is to protect both the organization and the employees by ensuring a fair, respectful, and compliant workplace.
Time with Employees
A big distinction between recruiters and HR Business Partner is when and how they interact with team members. A Recruiter typically spends the most time with the employee from the time they identify them as a potential candidate until they’re hired. A recruiter will guide a candidate through the entire recruitment process, from screening until an offer is made.
An HR Business Partner will interact with the new hire once they begin their onboarding and then stay in contact with them for the remainder of their career at that company. An HR professional may also interview candidates,, but their primary focus is on the next stage of the process, once the candidate becomes an employee.
Related: WHAT EVERY HR DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Qualifications and Salary
To be an HR generalist, you usually have to have a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or another related field. Some places also require three to five years of HR experience. Some may even require certifications. Since they require a bit more experience, Senior HR professionals make an average of $100,000.
Recruiters need a high school diploma, although an undergraduate degree is preferred. They usually must know employment-related laws, like the Fair Labor Standards Act and the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations. A few years ago, their average salary was around $72,000.
Related: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GETTING A RAISE
Contract vs. Full Time
Recruiters are often external employees hired when the company is in need of someone to look over the job recruitment process. Most companies are not hiring all year long and have a certain time of year when they have enough vacancies where they need to reach out to recruiters. Other times, they work at a company part-time.
Meanwhile, human resources is often a department within a company. Most of the members of that team are full-time employees that work within the company’s office. They usually manage the outsourced recruitment team the business hires, overseeing the process in its entirety.
Can the Same Person do Both Roles?
At smaller companies, the HR Business Partner may also function as a Recruiter. Those with HR backgrounds typically arrive at their position with a degree in management, business, psychology or another related field. This can enable them to play both roles if need be.
Recruiters possess strong people skills and have a solid command of the technology/tools needed to find candidates. They are often extroverted and enjoy selling and match-making. Your Recruiter may not always want to take on HR responsibilities so be sure to ask before assuming they’ll grow into a combined HR/recruiting role.
HR vs. Recruiting: Role Clarity
An easy way to think about what each person is responsible for is that the Recruiter is there to attract talent, while the HR Business Partner’s responsibility is to help the company develop and keep (retain). There will be some overlap and good teams work together seamlessly, but, at the end of the day, it helps to have some clarity on who’s ultimately responsible for what.
The main thing is to remember that if your organization has the capacity, it’s best to keep the two functions separate so both the Recruiters and HR Business Partners can thrive in their dedicated area of expertise.
Of course, Reverb can help with that. We care about creating a positive, energized, kind, and innovative company culture. And that all starts with your people operations. Contact us today if you’re looking to improve your HR department, develop your managers, or offer executive coaching to leaders.
