Why Are Recruiters Paid Less Than Other Professionals? Let's Discuss Your Experiences

My name is Swapna. I am currently looking for a change. I have 3.6 years of experience in technical recruitment. I have conducted interviews with six reputed companies so far, completing three rounds with each company. They are eager for me to join them but are hesitant to offer me at least a 30% increase from my current CTC, which is low!

I am now with my second organization, and a similar situation occurred when I transitioned to my current position. I did not receive even a 20% salary hike. Once again, my CTC with my first organization was very low despite having 2.6 years of experience at that time. This has been a recurring scenario for the past four years.

Recruiters' Compensation Disparity

I conducted a survey which revealed that recruiters are being paid significantly less compared to developers, other HR professionals, and even other levels of employees. I strongly believe that without recruiters, companies cannot expand their workforce, and without workforce expansion, companies cannot achieve profitability. It is perplexing to me why recruiters are undervalued in terms of compensation.

Do you agree with me?

PLEASE COMMENT {{ I HAVE NOT FOUND A SOLUTION YET. IS THERE ANY WAY... !!!! }}

Hi Ms. Swapna, usually HR personnel are paid less compared to other technical professionals. There have been multiple discussions regarding this in the forum, but I may not agree that recruiters are paid less compared to other core HR personnel. However, there may be a slight gap between the core HR professionals and recruiters.

I do agree with you. Not only are recruiters, but HR personnel are also being paid less. But why? Is there any solution to this?

It is not correct to form a notion that recruiters are paid less in comparison. You need to relate your work with the profitability of the company that you are working with. If you are in mass hiring, your appraisal parameters will differ compared to those who are headhunters. Hence, your focus area has to be in line accordingly. It is acceptable if you are paid less (as per your expectations) during your initial learning phase. Recruiters are expected to get the manpower in accordance with the organizational needs; it becomes imperative to surpass the experiences of the one that you are hiring, in some way or another. Once you gain expertise in it, trust that there should be no looking back. The recruitment domain will only pay back once you get recognized as an individual brand, in whatever kind of recruitment you are doing.

Regards,
Saket

I agree. Furthermore, I would like to add that HR is responsible for handling all the miscellaneous tasks, and the work we do adds value. However, we are often considered a cost center and are inadequately compensated.

Regards,
Tupai

HR Compensation Disparities

It's really true that HR professionals are paid less compared to other management departments. It's also true that HR recruiters are paid less than those in Core HR.

For the first point, I would like to say that organizations want employees to work without considering the cost implications. The focus is on how much the employees' salaries can be reduced and how hard they can be made to work. Companies often overlook the fact that the workforce, being the primary resource, contributes to profitability. The emphasis is on salary and other staff expenses rather than the profit generated by the employees.

Reasons for Lower Pay for HR Recruiters

My second point addresses why HR recruiters are paid less. Recruitment companies are abundant, but not all are large-scale. Larger companies, including those in recruitment and other industries, can afford to pay higher salaries. Additionally, recruitment is just a part of Core HR, indicating that specialized HR roles may receive lower compensation compared to broader HR roles. Ultimately, salary is often tied to the level of work responsibility.

It's essential to recognize that HR is often referred to as the employer, distinguishing it from other roles. Furthermore, HR typically enjoys more authority compared to other management functions.

Thanks