What Does A Recruitment Consultant Do? Tasks, Responsibilities & Salary

The recruitment industry is buzzing in 2025, with top in-house and agency recruiters being in high demand to help find and onboard top talent.

But what exactly does a recruitment consultant do?

Whether you're considering a career in recruitment or hiring for your company, a recruitment consultant is the vital link for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Note: Does your company rely on attracting (and retaining) top talent? Vouch is a game-changer for brands like Amazon, Nike, Cisco, Culture Amp, HubSpot, Safety Culture, Stryker, Canva and more. Just click here to get your demo and grow your talent pipeline.

Let's dive in.
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Is a Recruitment Consultant An In-house or External Role?

A Recruitment Consultant typically works in an external role and is employed by a recruitment agency to help various clients/companies find suitable candidates for their open positions.

Recruitment Consultants work on behalf of multiple businesses, often earning commissions or fees based on successful placements.

However, if a company hire a similar role internally, they are usually called an Internal Recruiter or Hiring Manager, Talent Acquisition Specialist, or In-house Recruiter. These professionals focus solely on hiring for their own organization rather than for multiple clients.
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What Are The Key Responsibilities of a Recruitment Consultant?

A recruitment consultant position involves a mix of sales, client management, and talent acquisition. Here's what a typical day looks like:

1. Building Relationships with Clients

• Act as the main point of contact for client businesses
• Understand client position requirements to create engaging job descriptions and build a pool of applicants.
• Negotiate contracts with clients and ensure a smooth hiring process.

2. Finding and Managing Candidates

• Source potential candidates through employer branding, job advertisements, graduate events and social media channels
• Screen candidates for jobs and create candidate shortlists
• Provide feedback to candidates and assist in career development

3. Managing the Recruitment Process

• Work with candidates to schedule interviews
• Handle job offers, negotiations and onboarding
• Ensure satisfied clients by delivering high-quality candidates

Key Skills of a Successful Recruitment Consultant

To thrive in this high-pressure environment, recruitment consultants need a combination of skills:

• Outstanding communication skills – essential for networking and negotiations
• Organizational skills – handling multiple job vacancies at once
• Excellent problem-solving skills – finding creative solutions for hiring challenges
• Financial skills – understanding salary rates and contract terms
• Marketing techniques – promoting job roles and attracting talent
• People skills – building trust with clients and candidates
• Excellent time management skills – balancing client demands and recruitment deadlines
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Recruitment Industry Insights for 2025

The current labour market is experiencing significant changes. Recruitment consultancies are adapting to new employment market trends, and specialist agencies are in high demand.

Key Statistics

• Global recruitment revenue is projected to reach $650 billion in 2025 (Source: Statista)
• 71% of employers say finding business-critical talent is their biggest challenge (Source: LinkedIn Talent Solutions)
• Hybrid working roles are expected to increase by 30% by the end of 2025
• Graduate salaries are predicted to rise by 5% due to an all-time high skills-short job market

Recruitment firms must embrace technology, using AI-powered tools and social media channels to connect with active candidates.
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How Do Recruitment Consultants Use Vouch?

1. Connect Vouch with Your Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

• Compatible ATS platforms: Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn, JobAdder, etc.
• How? Embed Vouch video requests into your hiring stages, allowing candidates to submit recorded responses directly through the ATS.
• Why? Saves time by reviewing video responses without switching platforms.

2. Boost Employer Branding in Job Ads

• Embed Vouch videos in your job descriptions on LinkedIn, Seek, or Indeed.
• Showcase company culture with team spotlight videos.
• Attract passive candidates through your employer branding.

3. Streamline Internal Collaboration & Stakeholder Feedback

• Send recorded responses to hiring managers for asynchronous review.
• Use timestamps for easy collaboration—stakeholders can leave comments on key moments.
• Speed up approvals with shared decision-making.

Pro Tip: Create a shortlist of top candidate responses and send them in a single Vouch link for quick feedback.

4. Automate Follow-Ups & Next Steps

Integrate Vouch with email automation tools (like HubSpot, Salesforce, or your ATS). Set up automated reminders for candidates who haven’t submitted responses and move successful candidates to the next stage with one click.

5. Optimise Performance with Analytics

• Track response rates, video engagement, and completion times.
• Identify bottlenecks in your hiring process.
• Use data to refine which questions work best for different roles.
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What Are The Salary Expectations for Recruitment Consultants in 2025?

A career in recruitment can be highly rewarding.

Here's what salaries for recruitment consultants look like:

Entry-Level Recruitment Consultant

• Base salary: $30,000 - $40,000
• Uncapped commission from day one
• Trainee recruitment consultants can earn bonuses through business development

Experienced Recruitment Consultants

• Average salary: $50,000 - $70,000
• Bonuses for bringing in business from client companies
• Opportunities for promotion to senior consultant or branch manager

Senior & Management Positions

• Senior consultant roles: $80,000+
• Regional management or recruitment managers can earn over $100,000
• Branch bonus and profit share arrangements between client and agency
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Career Growth in Recruitment Consulting

The recruitment industry offers excellent career development opportunities. Many consultants start in an entry-level recruitment consultant position and work their way up.

Development Possibilities

• Trainee recruitment consultants → Recruitment Consultant
• Consultant role → Senior Consultant
• Team leader → Branch manager
• Regional management → Director of Recruitment

Recruiters can also specialize in fields like financial services, human resource management, or digital marketing agencies to niche and make a recruiter's demand even higher.

As we push into 2025, recruitment consultants are growing in demand, and it is one field where AI can support recruiters, but it is still a long way off from replacing the role that human touch top recruiters provide.
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FAQs

What does a recruitment consultant do on a day-to-day basis?

They manage client relationships, source candidates, handle interviews, and oversee the hiring process.

Do recruitment consultants earn commission?

Yes! Most consultants earn uncapped commissions on placements they make.

What industries do recruitment consultants work in?

They work in various business sectors, including finance, technology, facilities services, and human resources.

What skills do you need to be a recruitment consultant?

You need excellent communication skills, people skills, problem-solving skills, and a passion for recruitment.

How do recruitment agencies find candidates?

They use social media channels, candidate databases, graduate events, and job advertisements.

Is recruitment a good career?

Yes! It offers high earning potential, career development programmes, and progression to management positions.

What qualifications do you need to become a recruitment consultant?

No formal degree is required, but a foundation degree or experience in sales can help.
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Summary

A career in recruitment consulting is dynamic, fast-paced, and rewarding, with plenty of career opportunities.

Whether you're an employer seeking top talent or someone considering a career in recruitment, understanding this role is essential. With the right combination of skills, excellent customer service, and a passion for recruitment, success is within reach.
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See Why Recruitment Consultants Love Vouch!

Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, Stryker, HubSpot, Amazon and more, tools like Vouch make leveraging video in your business remarkably easy for improving your employee engagement.

Be sure to book a Vouch demo today and chat with a video content expert.