Recruitment is the process of attracting, interviewing, and hiring employees to fill job openings in an organization. As a core aspect of human resources (HR), recruitment is important because it provides an organization with its most valuable resource: quality personnel. The term “talent management” is increasingly used to refer to employee recruitment as well as retention, in recognition of the vital importance of having the right people to a company’s success.

To find the right candidates to fill the needs of an organization’s HR strategy, recruiters increasingly combine a hard data “people analytics” approach with traditional interpersonal soft skills. The advent of digital hiring platforms like LinkedIn and ZipRecruiter have made it possible to filter through huge numbers of resumes and quickly surface qualified candidates. Then, recruiters must still use interviews, references, and other screening techniques to ensure that an applicant that looks good “on paper” will be a good fit for the organizational culture of a company.

The most relevant job for skilled recruiters is a human resource specialist, also known as recruitment specialists, personnel recruiters, or “head hunters.” These professionals are directly responsible for recruiting, screening, interviewing, and placing employees into jobs within an organization. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they make a median salary of $61,920 per year and typically have a bachelor’s degree, although professional certifications can enhance their value to employers.

An understanding of the recruitment process is also essential for roles in HR management - and, in fact, many HR managers begin their careers as recruiters. However, HR managers have responsibilities that go beyond recruiting, including the onboarding and training process for new hires, ongoing employee relations and regulatory compliance, and the administration of employee payroll and benefits. They are also responsible for supervising specialists and other support staff, which requires strong managerial skills.

Absolutely! Coursera has a wide variety of online courses on topics in recruitment and interviewing, as well as more advanced courses and Specializations on human resource management and people analytics. This broad range of coursework can give you the chance to meld your interpersonal skills with data-driven analysis.

With courses offered from top-ranked institutions like the University of Minnesota and the University of Pennsylvania, you get the opportunity to take advantage of the low cost of online learning without sacrificing the quality of your education. And, with virtual office hours and collaborative group projects, you can put your interviewing and communication skills to the test, all while pursuing your recruitment education remotely and on a flexible schedule.