Agency or in-house: two ways of doing the job
In an agency you answer to outside clients, look for candidates for several companies and often help develop new business. Targets are numerical, and pay frequently includes a variable part. Randstad, Adecco and Hays publish their vacancies country by country.
In-house, you work with internal managers, know the organisation in depth and follow a hire through to onboarding. The pace is less commercial, but internal politics can weigh heavily. Your choice depends on what motivates you: a variety of clients or the depth of a single culture.
There is a third case: the recruitment team of a group opening a site in a new country. You build a process from nothing, with few local reference points and a lot of autonomy. The experience is formative but exposes you to uncertainty. Ask who helps you on the ground and what support head office really provides.
Turning a vague need into observable criteria
A manager rarely says exactly what they are looking for. Your value lies in how you turn “someone independent” into criteria that can be checked: projects run alone, decisions taken, situations lived through. Explain this approach in your application with a real example.
Describe your whole process: scoping with the manager, writing the advert, searching for candidates, screening, interviews, feedback, offer, follow-up until onboarding. Say where you stepped in and where the final decision belonged to others. This honesty reassures the employer about your judgement.
- The need expressed by the manager
- Verifiable criteria chosen
- Sourcing channels used
- Final decision and each person’s role
Telling the story of a hard hire without exposing anyone
A telling example beats a list of volumes: a rare profile, a vacancy open for a long time, a candidate who changes their mind at the last minute. Describe the difficulty, what you tried and what worked. Employers want to see that you can adapt.
Protect personal data. Name no one, cite no identifiable employer without permission, and give no detail that would let anyone recognise a candidate. Data protection rules differ between countries, but discretion is expected everywhere. An anonymised, precise account is more than enough.
End the story with what you would do differently. A recruiter who can analyse a setback, such as a declined offer or a new joiner who left too soon, inspires more trust than one who shows only successes. That candour shows you improve your methods rather than repeat them.
Interviewing across languages and cultures
Running an interview in a foreign language changes what you hear. A modest answer may hide great ability in one culture, while excessive confidence may hide weak ability in another. Your skill at reading these signals is part of how your profile is judged.
Ask which languages the job requires, spoken and written, and how interview quality is monitored. Some employers record interviews or review notes, while others leave more autonomy. State your real level in each working language, distinguishing spoken fluency from writing.
Questions to ask about roles, volumes and tools
Ask which kinds of roles you will fill: technical, sales, operational, managerial. The level of difficulty and the channels change completely. Ask also how many vacancies are open at the same time, how they are spread between countries and how long is expected between opening a position and a hire.
Find out about the applicant tracking system: a single piece of software or shared spreadsheets, access to candidate databases, a budget for job adverts. A badly suited tool costs time. Ask who you report to and how your results are assessed beyond the raw number of hires.
The traps of a badly defined job
Some recruiter adverts conceal a human resources administration job, sales prospecting or data entry. That can suit you, provided you know before accepting. Compare the list of duties with what is described in conversation and point out any gaps.
Be wary too of an employer promising big commissions without explaining how they are calculated, or an agency asking you to carry out unpaid assignments to prove your worth. Ask for the commission rules in writing and refuse extended trials without a contract.
Learning local employment law before you hire
Rules on hiring, non-discrimination, probation periods and contracts differ from one country to another. A recruiter has to know them in order to advise managers. Ask what training the employer provides and who internally can answer legal questions.
To go deeper, rely on the labour authority of the country concerned and on local professional federations. Do not assume that French practice applies. Showing in an interview that you know how to check a rule inspires more confidence than claiming to know everything already.
Contract, relocation and probation period
Before signing, have the job title, the geographic scope, the pay structure and the length of the probation period written down. If part of the work is remote, state the country where you will do it. Conditions for living and working are set by the authorities of the country and vary with your nationality.
Agree with the employer on which steps it handles and on the timetable, without confusing a job promise with a permit actually granted. Keep your current job until the decisive points are confirmed in writing. A hasty departure weakens your negotiating position.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need agency experience to be a recruiter abroad?
No, but it is valued for roles with heavy commercial pressure. In-house experience suits internal functions. Whatever your background, prepare a concrete hiring example showing the criteria set, the channels used and the result. The employer is looking for a method, not a job title.
Which languages are expected in this job?
Those of the candidates and managers you will serve. A regional role may require two or three languages, including English. State your spoken and written levels separately. Recruiters often test your ability to run a real interview rather than simply look at certificates.
Is variable pay common?
It is frequent in agencies, tied to placements or revenue, and rarer in-house. Ask how it is calculated, whether it is capped, over what period, and what happens if the person you placed leaves. Get these rules in writing before you sign.
How do I protect candidates’ personal data?
By keeping only the information you need, storing it in approved tools and following the rules of the country where the candidate lives. Do not pass it to a third party without consent. For the exact obligations, consult the competent data protection authority.