Have you always dreamed of being your own boss? Would you enjoy more quality time with your family? Do you enjoy helping people? Are you good at making connections with others?

If you answered yes to the above questions, a freelance recruiter career may be the path to consider. 

By opting for this career path, you will gain flexibility in when, how, and where you work.

A freelance career can be financially rewarding and incredibly satisfying, as you will feel good about being able to help companies locate top talent that fits their needs and being able to match candidates with relevant job opportunities.

Ready to learn more about what a freelance recruiter is and how to become one? Keep reading below!

How to Become a Freelance Recruiter

That you know what a freelance recruiter is and does and why you may want to consider becoming one, you are probably curious as to what steps you should take to become an independent recruiter.

1. Starting Your Freelance Recruiter Career

To begin your freelance recruiter career, you must first make sure you have the education and expertise required. 

Generally, companies will want recruiters to have a background in human resources or something similar.

Although some companies may require a degree, education isn’t nearly as important to most companies as is your previous experience and capability of being able to locate suitable candidates.

Therefore, don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a degree, as it is still entirely possible to become a successful independent recruiter with only a high school diploma.

You may also want to consider registering as a business owner. 

This not only makes you more legit, but it also protects you in the event of any issues with the recruiting process. Plus, many companies will only work with a registered business.

2. Getting Experience as a Recruiter

If you lack the experience to currently go out on your own as a freelance recruiter, you may consider looking for job openings at a local staffing agency or the Human Resources department of any company.

This will provide you with the experience you need to locate clients and source candidates. You can also build up your network so you are good to go when it is time to branch out on your own.

It isn’t uncommon for recruiters to utilize LinkedIn as their primary method of sourcing potential candidates. 

After a few years of working with an agency, your network on LinkedIn will grow and you can take it with you once you begin your freelance career in recruiting.

You may want to consider targeting a specific niche for your freelance career.

If you work at an agency, you are likely dealing with a number of different industries, but once you branch out, you will find that it is easier to land clients and source candidates if you have narrowed down a niche to focus on.

By focusing on a specific niche, you will quickly become an expert in that industry, which will look impressive to prospective clients.

There’s also something to be said for word of mouth here. As you start to specialize, word tends to spread a lot faster within a tight-knit industry. Someone will inevitably mention your name in a Slack channel or at a trade meetup—those kinds of recommendations can do more for your business than any ad spend ever could.

Depending on your niche, you’ll also notice patterns about what each vertical really values. Tech startups, for example, might care less about a polished résumé and more about relevant portfolio projects or GitHub activity. On the other hand, corporate HR departments still love a traditional approach. It’s a good idea to tune in to what your target clients genuinely pay attention to and adjust your approach as you get feedback from them.

One thing folks don’t often talk about is how much trial and error is actually involved. You could spend weeks perfecting a process only to realize it doesn’t quite mesh with your ideal clients, or maybe your messaging falls flat with candidates in a certain field. That’s just the behind-the-scenes reality. Sometimes you stumble on success by accident, sometimes you have to tweak things and try again. The key is to keep experimenting without getting discouraged or overly precious about your original plan.

On a more practical note, don’t underestimate the value of working with a mentor if you can find one. Even just a few honest conversations with someone who’s already carved their own path can save you a surprising amount of frustration. They won’t have all the answers—but sometimes you just need someone to confirm you’re not overthinking things, or to give a reality check when you’re stuck. The freelance world can feel pretty solitary otherwise, which is maybe both good and bad.

3. Finding Good Clients (and Getting Paid)

As a freelance recruiter, the two most important tasks you must perform are finding quality clients and sourcing qualified candidates.

As you start your freelance recruiting career, you will unlikely be able to reach out to any clients you worked with at a previous job. This is due to the non-solicitation clauses placed in your contract.

The good news is that there are always companies out there hiring for positions within their companies. 

You can find these companies on LinkedIn, on job boards, in newspapers, and more.

Look for these companies and send them a pitch of your services, which may include potential financial savings for the company that they can realize simply by outsourcing recruitment tasks.

At the same time, you have likely built a decent social media presence over the last few years, so use that to your advantage. 

Create a post to share with your followers that you are now freelance. If you have built a solid reputation, this post may be just enough to secure your very first client.

Once a company decides to hire you as a freelance recruiter, you can draw up a contract and create payment terms. 

A good rule of thumb is to charge somewhere between 15 and 25 percent of the annual salary of the candidate.

Consider working with a lawyer to draft a contract. This helps ensure the contract is iron-clad and gives you some leverage in the event a client chooses not to pay. 

Always refer non-paying clients to the terms outlined in your contract. Consult with an attorney if refusal to pay continues.

4. Sourcing Good Candidates

Attracting some of the best talent is key to being a successful freelance recruiter. 

By locating the right candidate for a position, your client will benefit from great productivity and lower turnover. However, if you hire the wrong candidate for a position, it may not only impact your client but your business as well.

In order to source qualified candidates, you must familiarize yourself with the qualifications of the job.

Ideally, you should know them like the back of your hand. With this knowledge, you can begin the search for great talent.

While you should begin your search within your existing talent pool, as you’ve already invested time and money into them, there are other ways you can source good candidates. 

With nearly 80 percent of Americans using online resources when seeking a job, use the internet to your advantage.

Post on online job boards, create social media ads, join relevant Facebook groups, attend career fairs, and request referrals.

Consider investing in first-rate recruiting software, as this will make your job easier when locating the right candidate. 

Once a client sends you a job order, you simply need to enter certain keywords into the software, and it will bring up the most qualified candidates associated with those keywords.

5. Keeping Yourself Up to Date

As your own boss, you don’t have someone else to take care of your paperwork, records, accounting, etc. Instead, the responsibility all falls on you.

From getting a business bank account and hiring an accountant for your finances to obtaining the latest software and updating your website and online profiles, it is imperative that you remain current with all aspects of your business.

Although you can take care of your finances yourself, it is often easier to have an accountant do so for you. 

They will make sure you follow all rules and regulations, send invoices to clients, and do your taxes for you. In many cases, an accounting professional will save you money in areas you are unfamiliar with.

You may also be interested in these articles:

• Finance Tips for Freelancers to Help You Reach Your Goals
• 9 of the Best Freelance Websites for Jobs
• Freelance Writer Pitch Examples to Win Clients Over

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Wrap Up

Being a freelance recruiter definitely has its ups and downs, but this particular career path can help you develop new skills and hone existing ones, change other people’s lives, and create a financially rewarding side hustle or full-time business.

If you believe this may be the right side hustle or career for you, reach out to recruiters in the area to see if they may be interested in outsourcing some of their work. 

First, learn a few of the best strategies for cold pitching to improve your chances of receiving business as a freelancer.