Overview

Human Resources (HR) is a key part of any successful business or organisation; HR deals with recruitment, employment disputes, disciplinaries and training staff. This is not an exhausted list but gives an idea into the HR sector. The HR sector is varied and offers a variety of roles ranging from entry level to management level, with Chartered Institute of professional Development (CIPD) status.

HR firms are now being set up and provide services to business and companies which do not have their own HR provision. In addition to this you can also get HR consultants who freelance and generally provide support to smaller businesses, that do not have their own HR team in place.

Recruitment

In the UK, most companies now advertise via recruitment companies.  By adverting via a recruitment agency, the agency does all the leg work, they will pre-screen all the applicants and recommend to the business who should be put forward for interviews. For some businesses, they may use a designated agency or a freelance recruitment consultant to deal with all their recruitment.

Working in the recruitment sector you would generally be matching applicants to business, matching their skillsets. You may also be asked to headhunt and use online platforms such as linked in to source suitable applicants. Sales and marketing will also be involved within this sector.

The recruitment sector offers roles from entry level to graduate positions. Many recruitment agencies tend to offer graduate schemes, but will also offer lower level positions too. With many companies, you can start in an entry level position and work your way up, using the experience you have gained.

Singing up with an agency

Are you looking for a recruitment agency to help you find a job?  We've listed them here too.  See the 'Organisations in this sector' section for details.