Becoming a successful recruiter is a growth-filled journey. To boost your resume, knowledge, and more, consider recruiter certification. Joining recruiting certification programs can make all the difference when it comes to landing job orders.
About recruiter certification
Recruiting is a difficult industry to get into. Typically, you need a bachelor’s degree, experience, and certain soft skills to establish a healthy recruiting career. You might also pursue continuing education, like recruiter certification, workshops, and other networking events. Some certification programs are substitutes for a bachelor’s degree.
According to one LinkedIn study, the majority of recruiters graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, but majors also included marketing and human resources. Because of the varying paths people take to become recruiters, it’s important for clients to know that you are a certified sourcing professional.
Employers encourage or even require you to have recruiter certification. This verifies that you have the skills needed to be successful in the recruitment industry. And, you stand out more to clients, which can increase your job orders.
Recruiter certification programs typically offer resources, like actual courses, study materials, and an exam. If you pass the exam, you obtain recruiter certification.
Recruiting certification programs
You can choose from different recruiting certification programs. You can obtain recruiting certifications online, which lets you accommodate the process with your busy schedule. With some programs, you also have the option of taking the exam onsite.
The cost of certification varies, depending on which program you pursue. The duration of the program also varies. Some programs are specifically for recruiters while others are for HR professionals. Here are a few of the programs offered:
AIRS recruiting certification
AIRS, one recruitment training company, provides online professional recruiter certification programs. These courses are meant to train recruiters in topics like sourcing passive candidates, social media recruiting, and more.
AIRS offers a variety of recruitment training courses, including:
- Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR)
- Advanced Certified Internet Recruiter (ACIR)
- Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR)
- Certified Social Sourcing Recruiter (CSSR)
- Professional Recruiter Certification (PRC)
- Certified Social Media Recruiter (CSMR)
- Certified Military Veteran Recruiter (CMVR)
Each certification lasts for two years. The coursework and exam are different for each certification. The cost of each recruiting course certification program is $995 and includes the courses and final exam.
There is also an additional recruitment certification: Elite Certified Recruitment Expert (ECRE). Unlike the other programs, the ECRE does not include the training courses. This top recruiter certification option is only available if you passed four of the other exams. The cost of the ECRE certification is $395.
After the two-year certification period, you must pass a recertification exam to maintain your AIRS recruiter certification.
LinkedIn Recruiter Certification
LinkedIn is a valuable social media platform you can use to recruit. You can also use LinkedIn Recruiter, a recruiting tool you pay for, to further up your recruitment strategy.
Because LinkedIn Recruiter is a popular recruiting tool, the company also offers certification in recruiting. The exam tests your recruiter knowledge as well as your ability to use the LinkedIn Recruiter tool.
You can obtain LinkedIn Recruiter Certification by taking and passing the exam for $199. The exam is available online or onsite at a testing center. LinkedIn offers preparation materials to help you study. They break down the resources by sections:
- Section 1: Find and Identify Talent using LinkedIn Recruiter
- Section 2: Effectively Engaging Talent
- Section 3: Pipelining Talent
- Section 4: Organize, Collaborate, and Work Efficiently
- Section 5: Posting and Managing Jobs
When you pass, you receive a badge that highlights your certification. For more information, visit LinkedIn’s Certification website.
ASA certification
The American Staffing Association (ASA) is a membership-based organization for staffing professionals. The ASA’s certification is available at a discounted rate for members, but it is also offered to non-members.
You can sign up for four certification programs. Each certification program includes materials like textbooks, workbooks, other study materials, a practice exam, and an online exam.
If you fail your exam, the ASA gives you a discount to retake it within 90 days.
Certified Staffing Professional (CSP)
The Certified Staffing Professional (CSP) is a certification program that every recruiter can benefit from. The exam includes content on employment and labor laws. For members, the exam package is $405, and it is $810 for non-members. The exam is two hours long.
Certified Health Care Staffing Professional (CHP)
The Certified Health Care Staffing Professional (CHP) certification program is tailored to recruiters working in the healthcare industry. The program includes content on employment and labor laws for healthcare staffing. The cost for members is $455 for the exam package and $910 for the non-member exam package. The exam is two hours long.
Technical Services Certified (TSC)
The ASA’s Technical Services Certified (TSC) program is for individuals who recruit for technical fields (e.g., IT). If you receive the TSC certification, you also earn your CSP certification. The TSC exam covers employment and labor laws as well as per diem, worker classification, and H-1B visas. The Technical Services Certified Exam Package is $455 for members and $910 for non-members. The exam is two hours long.
Certified Search Consultant (CSC)
The Certified Search Consultant (CSC) certification program focuses on federal employment law, state licensing, and registration laws for direct hire companies. For members, the exam package is $370, and it is $740 for non-members. The exam is one hour long.
NAPS certification
The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) is a membership-based recruiting organization. The association offers two recruiter certification programs, Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) and Certified Temporary Staffing-Specialist (CTS). You may take the exam whether you are a member or non-member of the association. Each program includes a manual, examination, and certification.
CPC certification
The CPC certification is directed towards direct-hire recruiters and consultants. The exam focuses on the laws of direct-hire recruiting and consultation. The member price of CPC certification is $350 and the non-member price is $555.
CTS certification
The CTS certification focuses on temporary staffing and its laws. The member price of CTS certification is $350 and the non-member price is $550.
If you fail either of the tests, NAPS offers a discounted retest option.For more information on these certification programs, view the NAPS website.
HR certification
If you are interested in receiving HR certification, there are some strong programs on the market. SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, offers two human resources certification programs: SHRM-CP and SHRM-SCP. Although not specifically for recruiters, some of the information could be invaluable to your recruitment process.
There are many other human resource certification courses out there. If interested, look around before purchasing a certification program.
