This course teaches the basics of recruiting and job placement: helping businesses find good workers, and helping people find good jobs. It is written in plain words for beginners.
There are 7 parts and a bonus lesson on running a small placement business. Each part has a short lesson, a real example, a checklist or template you can use, and a short quiz with answers. Each part also has an audio version, so you can listen while you work.
The examples use common jobs like bookkeeper, office manager, receptionist and teacher's aide.
Goal: Understand the job, what a normal day looks like, and which skills you already have.
A recruiter finds the right person for a job, and the right job for a person. You stand in the middle. On one side is a business that needs help. On the other side is someone who needs work. Your job is to make a good match, so both sides are happy for a long time.
Most of the job is talking to people and keeping good notes. The money comes from follow-up. Many placements are lost only because someone forgot to call back.
A dental office calls you. They say they need a receptionist. You ask more questions and learn the real problem: the phones are not answered after 3 PM, and patients are angry. So they really need someone who can work until 6 PM, is calm on the phone, and can learn the scheduling program. That is a very different search from "a receptionist." Asking good questions saved you days of sending the wrong people.
Any line where you gave yourself 1 or 2 is something to practice. For example, if notes are hard for you, start using one simple sheet from Part 7 today.
What is the main job of a recruiter?
How is an agency or placement recruiter usually paid?
Why can follow-up make or break a placement?
A business says it needs "a receptionist." What should you do first?
Goal: Learn why hiring matters, how to keep track of people, how to sell a business, and the main hiring laws.
For a business, a wrong hire is expensive. They lose time training someone who leaves, customers get upset, and the search starts again. A right hire makes the business stronger. For a candidate, a good job can change a whole family's life. When you do this work well, you help both.
Big companies use a program called an ATS, which stands for applicant tracking system. It is simply a smart list. It keeps every job, every candidate, every note, and where each person is in the process. When you are starting out, a simple spreadsheet does the same job. Give each candidate one row and a status, like this:
People choose a job for more than pay. Each business has good things about it. This is sometimes called the employer brand. Before you call any candidate, write three reasons why someone would want this job. For example: a short trip from home, closed on all holidays, a kind and patient manager, room to grow, or early Friday hours. Candidates say yes faster when they hear real reasons.
These are the most important rules to know. Laws change, and some details depend on the size of the business, so check with a lawyer before you rely on them.
| OK to ask | Do not ask |
|---|---|
| Can you work Monday to Thursday, 9 to 5? | How old are you? What year were you born? |
| Are you legally allowed to work in the US? | Where were you born? What is your accent? |
| Can you do the main tasks of this job, with or without help? | Do you have any health problems or disabilities? |
| Tell me about your experience with QuickBooks. | Are you married? Do you have children? Do you plan to? |
| What pay are you looking for in this job? | How much did you make at your last job? |
| Do you have a way to get to Flatbush by 8 AM? | Are you pregnant? |
A simple test: ask only about the job and the person's ability to do it. If a question is about the person's private life, family, body, background or beliefs, do not ask it. Religious organizations sometimes have special rules about hiring. If you work with one, ask a lawyer what applies.
An employer tells you: "Only send me young people, they learn faster." You can answer kindly: "I'm not allowed to choose people by age, and you aren't allowed to either. But tell me what the person needs to learn quickly, and I'll test for that." Now you are protecting the client and still helping.
What is an ATS, in plain words?
Which question is OK to ask?
When must the employer finish Form I-9 after checking documents?
A job ad for an office job in New York City should include:
The legal points here are general information, not legal advice. Laws change. Check with a lawyer for your situation.
Goal: Learn how to run the first call with an employer, check what is realistic, and write a strong job ad.
Before you search for anyone, you need a real talk with the person who is hiring. This is called the intake call. It usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. The better this call, the faster the search. Take notes on paper or in your sheet while you talk.
Sometimes an employer wants too much for too little. Before you promise anything, look at 5 to 10 ads for the same kind of job in the same area on a big job site. Check the pay they show and what they ask for. If most bookkeeper ads near you show $25 to $32 an hour and your client offers $18, tell them early and kindly: "At $18, I may find someone, but it will be slow, and they may not stay. At $25, I can likely fill it in two to three weeks." Let the employer choose. Telling the truth early saves weeks.
A good ad is short, clear and honest. Put the most important facts first: what the job is, where, the hours and the pay. Then a few lines on the work, a short list of must-haves, and the good things about the job. Avoid words that suggest age or gender, like "young," "energetic girl" or "salesman." Say "office team member" or "salesperson" instead.
Bookkeeper, full time, Borough Park, Brooklyn. Pay: $26 to $32 per hour, based on experience. Hours: Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 5 PM, Friday 9 AM to 1 PM. A busy family-run supply business is looking for a careful bookkeeper. You will enter bills and payments, match bank statements every month, send invoices, and help prepare reports for the accountant. Must have: 2 or more years of bookkeeping, comfort with QuickBooks, and very careful work with numbers. Nice to have: experience with payroll. Why work here: closed on all legal and religious holidays, a short walk from the train, a small friendly team, and paid days off. To apply, send your resume by email or text.
What is the intake call?
Your client offers far less than similar jobs nearby. What should you do?
What should come first in a job ad?
Which wording is better in an ad?
Goal: Learn where to find candidates, how to get referrals, and how to judge a resume fairly.
Every person you speak to, even one who is not right today, may be right next month, or may know someone. Keep everyone in your tracking sheet with their skills, what they want, and when you last spoke. Over time this list becomes the most valuable thing you own.
Make it easy. Tell people exactly who you need in one sentence, for example: "I'm looking for a bookkeeper with QuickBooks, part time, in Borough Park." A clear picture helps people think of a name. Always thank the person who gave you a name, and tell them what happened. People keep sending names to recruiters who say thank you.
Keep it short and personal: who you are, the job in one line, the pay range, and a question. For example: "Hi, this is [your name] from a local placement office. I have a full-time bookkeeper job in Borough Park, $26 to $32 an hour. Would you be open to a 10-minute call about it?" If they don't answer, try once more two or three days later, then stop.
Do not judge a resume on looks or on gut feeling. Use the must-haves from your intake call. First check the must-haves, yes or no. Then score the nice-to-haves. Only judge things that matter for the job, never age, name, address or family. Write one line about why you scored each person the way you did. This makes you faster, fairer, and better at explaining your choices to the employer.
| Candidate | 2+ yrs bookkeeping | QuickBooks | Careful with numbers | Payroll (nice to have, 0-2) | Total | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate A | Yes | Yes | Yes | 2 | Send | Did payroll for 12 people |
| Candidate B | Yes | No | Yes | 0 | Maybe | Uses a different program; could learn |
| Candidate C | No | Yes | Yes | 1 | Not now | Only 6 months; keep for a junior job |
A school needs a teacher's aide. You post an ad and get 30 replies, and you also ask three teachers you know. One teacher sends you a name: a calm, patient person who helped in her classroom for a year. That referral gets hired in a week. The ad found good people too, but referrals often come faster and stay longer.
Where should every search start?
What makes a referral request work best?
What should you score resumes on?
How many candidates should you send the employer for one job?
Goal: Learn how to run a phone screen, sell the job, set up interviews, and spot warning signs.
Before you send anyone to an employer, talk with them for 10 to 20 minutes. You want to know three things: can they do the job, do they want this job, and will the details work for them (pay, hours, travel). Being clear now prevents surprises later.
Questions that start with "Tell me about a time" are strong, because the person must give a real story, not a nice-sounding answer. Listen for details: names of programs, numbers, what they did themselves.
A phone screen goes both ways. Once you know what the person wants, connect the job to it. If they want shorter hours, point out the early Friday. If they want to grow, tell them the manager trains people. Be honest. Never promise anything the employer did not say.
One red flag is a reason to ask more questions, not always a reason to stop. There may be a good explanation. Two or three together usually mean: do not send this person yet.
You phone-screen a candidate for an office manager job. She says she ran a busy office of eight people. You ask, "Tell me about a time things went wrong in that office." She describes the day the computers went down before payroll, and how she called the bank and the payroll company and finished it by hand. That is a real story with details, a good sign. She also tells you she needs to leave by 4:30 on Fridays in the winter. You write it down and check with the employer before sending her.
What are the three things a phone screen should find out?
Why are "tell me about a time" questions useful?
What should you do right after an interview?
A candidate has one red flag. What should you do?
Goal: Learn how to collect feedback, present an offer, help both sides agree, and make sure the new hire starts well.
After each interview, ask both sides what they thought, within one day. Ask the employer: "What did you like? What worried you? Do you want a next step?" Ask the candidate: "How did it feel? Do you still want this job? Anything that worries you?" Pass on useful feedback kindly. If the answer is no, tell the candidate quickly and politely. People remember recruiters who called them back, even with bad news.
Know the answer before the offer is made. Ask the candidate: "If they offer you $28 an hour, Monday to Thursday plus Friday mornings, starting the 1st, would you say yes?" Ask the employer what they plan to offer. If you see a gap, solve it before the offer, not after. This is also the time to check references, with the candidate's permission. In New York City, an employer should finish checks like references before the offer, and may look at criminal history only after a conditional offer.
Call the candidate. Do not text big news. Share every part of the offer: job title, pay, hours, start date, benefits, and paid days off. Then be quiet and let them react. If they need a day to think, give them a clear time: "Can we speak tomorrow at noon?"
A yes is not a placement until the person starts and stays. Stay close until then.
An employer offers a candidate $27 an hour for an office manager job. The candidate hoped for $30. You learn that what she really needs is to leave at 1 PM on Fridays. You bring that one request to the employer, who agrees, and adds $1 an hour after three months. Both sides say yes, and you call the candidate on her first day, after her first week, and at 30, 60 and 90 days.
When should you collect feedback after an interview?
How should you share a job offer with a candidate?
What is a counteroffer?
When may most New York City employers look at a candidate's criminal history?
Goal: Learn a few simple numbers that show what is working and what to fix.
Numbers tell you where your time goes and where you lose placements. You do not need fancy software. A sheet you fill in every Friday for 10 minutes is enough.
Divide, then multiply by 100. If you sent 10 people and 4 got interviews, 4 divided by 10 is 0.4, which is 40 percent. If 4 people were interviewed and 1 got an offer, that is 25 percent. If you placed 5 people and 4 are still there after 90 days, that is 80 percent.
| Job | Employer | Intake date | Sent | Interviews | Offers | Start date | Days to fill | Still there at 90 days? | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeper | Supply company | Jan 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Feb 3 | 21 | Yes | Paid |
| Teacher's aide | School | Jan 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Jan 27 | 10 | Yes | Paid |
| Office manager | Dental office | Jan 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - |
Add one more note for every person you place: where you found them. Was it your own list, a referral, a community newsletter, a job site, or a school? After a few months, you will see which places bring you the people who get hired and stay. Spend more of your time there. For example, if most of your hires come from referrals, make a habit of asking every candidate and every client for one name, and thank them when it works out. If one job site brings many replies but no hires, you can stop paying for it.
Also keep a short note when you lose a placement, and why. The candidate took another job, the pay was too low, the employer was too slow to answer, or the person left in the first month. Reasons that repeat are the ones to fix first.
Once a month, look at your sheet and ask three questions. Where am I slow? Where do I lose people? Which employers and which kinds of jobs bring me the most placements? Then do more of what works. For example, if teacher's aide jobs fill in 10 days and office manager jobs take 40, you may want more school clients.
After three months you see that only 2 of your last 12 candidates got interviews. That is about 17 percent, which is low. You look closer and find you were sending people who missed one must-have. You go back to using the scoring sheet from Part 4 every time, and the next month 5 of 10 get interviews.
What does time to fill measure?
You sent 8 people and 2 got interviews. What is the send-to-interview rate?
Which number best shows whether your matches are good?
Your interview-to-offer rate is low. What might help?
Goal: Learn the basics of fees, agreements and licenses before you place anyone.
Never send a candidate's resume to a business until the business has signed your fee agreement. A handshake is not enough. Once they have the resume, you have nothing left to bargain with.
Most placement offices are paid on contingency, which means only when a hire happens. The fee is usually a percentage of the person's first-year base pay. Industry articles commonly describe 15 to 25 percent, with 20 to 25 percent common for professional jobs. For example, a 20 percent fee on a $50,000 job is $10,000. For lower-paid or hourly jobs, some offices charge a flat fee instead. These numbers vary a lot by job, area and client, so ask other local recruiters what they charge, and set your own.
Employers expect a promise in case the hire does not work out. A common practice is a 30 to 90 day guarantee: if the person leaves or is let go in that time, you find a replacement for free, or return part of the fee. Write down exactly which one, and that the guarantee only counts if the employer paid on time.
New York City says you generally need an Employment Agency License from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to help people find jobs for a fee, including helping employers find workers. The city's site lists an exception: an agency paid only by employers, that never charges the worker any fee, and that places only commercial, clerical, executive, administrative and professional workers, does not need the city license, but must still follow New York State's employment agency law. If you place household workers, like nannies, cleaning help or home aides, the exception does not cover you, and you need the license. Licensed agencies also may not run from a home. Call the city at 311 or speak to a lawyer to check what applies to you.
A supply company wants a bookkeeper at $55,000 a year. Your signed agreement says 18 percent, due within 30 days of the start, with a 60-day free replacement guarantee. Your candidate starts on March 1. You send an invoice that day for $9,900, which is 18 percent of $55,000. The payment arrives on March 20. On May 1, after 60 days, you call both sides. All is well.
When should a business sign your fee agreement?
A 20 percent fee on a $45,000 job is:
What is a guarantee period?
You want to place nannies and cleaning help in New York City. What does the city's site say?
The legal points here are general information, not legal advice. Laws change. Check with a lawyer for your situation.