A recruiter is someone engaging in recruitment, which is the solicitation of individuals to fill jobs or positions within any group, such as a corporation or sports team. Recruiters can be divided into two groups; those working internally for one organization, and those working for multiple clients in a third-party broker relationship, sometimes called headhunters or agency recruiters.

Internal recruiters

An internal recruiter is member of a company or organization and typically works in human resources (HR), which in the past was known as the Personnel Office, or just Personnel. Internal recruiters may be multi-functional, serving in an HR generalist role (negotiating, hiring, firing, exit interviews, employee disputes, contracts, benefits, recruiting, etc.) or in a specific role focusing all their time on the activity of recruiting. They can be permanent employees or hired as contractors for this purpose. Contract recruiters tend to move around between multiple companies working at each one for a short stint as needed for specific hiring purposes.The responsibility to filter the candidate as per the requirement of the client.

Third party recruiters or headhunters

A third party recruiter acts as an independent contact between their client companies and the candidates they recruit for a position. They can specialize in client relationships only, and in finding candidates. Most recruiters tend to specialize in permanent or full-time, direct hire positions or contract positions, but occasionally in both.

Executive search agents/professionals who typically have a wide range of personal contacts within the area in question, a detailed specific knowledge of said area, and typically operate at the most senior level. Executive search professionals are also involved throughout more of the hiring process, conducting detailed interviews as well as only presenting candidates to clients where they feel the candidate in question will fit into the employment culture of the client. Executive search agencies typically have long-lasting relationships with clients spanning many years, and in such cases the suitability of candidates is paramount. It is also important that such agencies operate with a high level of professionalism.

Executive search agencies often also provide clients with (legal) inside rumors gleaned from contacts within their clients' competitors.

Compensation methods for recruiters specializing in direct hire placements fall into two broad categories; contingent and retained. Retained recruiters present opportunities and oversee the interview, and placement process for their clients. The contingent recruiter can earn as much as 20%-25% of the candidates base salary as a hiring fee.

Retained search

High-end executive search firms get a retainer (up-front fee) to perform a specific search for a company officer or other senior executive position. Typically, retained searches tend to be for positions that pay upwards of $100,000 and often far more.