Recruiting can be a tough gig, but when you nail it, it's incredibly rewarding.
To stay on top of your game and connect the best folk with the best jobs, you've got to keep learning. That's where recruiter certifications and courses come in. Think of them as power-ups for your career where you’ll learn the newest tricks and improve your networking skills.
Plus, they're a great way to show you've got the right skills to work with any company and their technology, whether it's a common recruiting solution with its own certifications like Workday, or another popular recruiting software.
So if you're ready to level up, the following list of recruiter certifications and courses are the way to go.
What Is A Recruiter Certification?
Let’s kick off with an explainer.
A professional recruiter certification is a formal endorsement that you hold specific recruitment skills and knowledge.
It shows everyone that you've studied the best ways to spot key potential candidates, know how to attract them, and can manage the hiring process like a pro.
These certifications often involve taking a series of training courses, followed by passing a final test.
They're offered by professional bodies and educational institutions and are a solid way to show employers and clients that you're serious about your role. Not to mention your commitment to staying sharp in the ever-changing recruitment industry.
15 Top Recruiter Certifications
1. HRCI Certification
As one of the top human resources credentialing organizations, The HR Certification Institute (HRCI) excels in promoting the highest HR professional standards. Their certification programs and examinations set the bar for excellence in the field.
HRCI certifications cater to HR professionals such as hiring managers at all levels, including global practitioners. For example, a popular credential is the Professional In Human Resources (PHR) which covers topics related to talent planning, business management, and employee relations.
Beyond individuals, HRCI also provides team certifications that aim to raise competency levels of the whole HR department.
- Price: Begins at $300 per certification
- Duration: Variable
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Both
- How many hours of instruction: Various
- Eligibility Requirements: Degree/Master's degree/years of experience (beginner certifications are open to all)
2. AIRS Certified Social and New Media Recruiter (CSMR)
AIRS is a significant provider in the recruitment space, offering talent management training depending on your skill level.
The Certified Social and New Media (CMSR) certification course helps you understand how to source and recruit candidates using various new media and social media resources such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Clubhouse, and YouTube.
Learning how to use high-traffic sites effectively can give you a much-needed competitive advantage in today's talent market.
This particular course only costs $995 and is offered in a self-guided or instructor-led training format.
If you’re keen to obtain all AIRS certifications, you can access the Recruiter Academy portal where you’ll get the training courses significantly cheaper compared to buying them individually.
- Price: Begins at $995 per certification
- Duration: Variable
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Both
- How many hours of instruction: Various
- Eligibility Requirements: All recruitment professionals can qualify for certifications.
3. AIRS Professional Recruiter Certification (PRC)
The AIRS Professional Recruiter Certification Learning Path is a full-cycle recruitment training session that helps recruiting professionals think strategically about the talent acquisition process.
This course is ideal for talent acquisition professionals looking to make an impact in their organization. AIRS Certification courses include both instructor-led and self-guided learning formats, with the option to complete both if preferred.
As before, access the Recruiter Academy portal to get the training courses significantly cheaper as a bundle.
- Price: Begins at $995 per certification
- Duration: Variable
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Both
- How many hours of instruction: Various
- Eligibility Requirements: All recruitment professionals can qualify for certifications.
4. AIRS Elite Certified Recruitment Expert (ECRE) Certification
Another offering from AIRS, this course helps recruiters expand their knowledge to apply advanced recruiting concepts such as general recruiting principals, social networking, diversity and inclusion recruiting, and advanced internet recruiting.
- Price: $395
- Duration: Variable
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Both
- How many hours of instruction: Various
- Eligibility Requirements: This exam is designed for the accomplished talent acquisition professional who has attained 4 out of the 8 prestigious AIRS certifications (CIR, PRC, CDR, CSSR, CSMR, CMVR, CTR and ACIR).
5. NAPS Certification
The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) is a professional recruitment organization.
Providing recruitment training and education for the human resources sector, NAPS was instrumental in developing the industry’s ethical guidelines and lobbies federal lawmakers about potential impactful industry legislation.
The association provides members and non-members with two recruitment courses:
- CPC Certification: For corporate recruiters working directly for companies relating to direct-hire recruiting.
- CTS Certification: For individuals recruiting passive candidates to understand the use of contract staffing and associated laws and regulations.
- Price: $350 for members and $550 for non-members
- Duration: Variable (self-paced)
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Depends on timing
- How many hours of instruction: Recommendations are approx. 30 hours of self-study
- Eligibility Requirements: You typically need a certain amount of professional staffing experience - although specific requirements may vary
6. Become a Tech Recruiter
In the world of tech recruitment, Become a Tech Recruiter is ideal for recruiters seeking a deeper understanding of the tech roles’ requirements.
Technical recruiters will learn hardware and operating systems, DevOps processes, and the nuances of recruiting software developers and IT professionals. Applicants of this course can successfully go on to evaluate potential candidates' technical abilities.
- Price: Free
- Duration: 2h 29m of content
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Online
- Eligibility Requirements: None
7. HRCI Professional in Human Resources (HRCI-PHR)
The HRCI-PHR recruiter certification program provides both technical and operational knowledge of HR management, including U.S. laws and regulations.
Designed for HR professionals with experience in implementing logistical programs, the PHR certification emphasizes a recruiter’s operational responsibilities for an organization’s HR team. This specific certification focuses on the practical aspects of HR rather than recruiting strategy options.
Price: Application fee of $100 and an exam fee of $395
Duration: Variable
Exam Required: Yes
Online, In-Person, or both?: Online
Eligibility Requirements: Master's degree holder with at least one year of experience in a professional-level HR position
Your PHR certification is valid for three years after testing. To maintain your PHR credential, you must earn 60 HR recertification credits over a three-year time span or retake the exam.
8. Cornell Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Certification
Cornell University offers a specialist recruitment and talent acquisition course that helps you plan for and acquire quality talent for your team, organization, or clients.
You’ll learn how to adapt to evolving market conditions to recruit and retain employees with the necessary skills to further your company’s recruitment goals.
Other course topics include facilitating staffing decisions, effective interviewing skills, attracting and retaining talent with performance pay, and measuring and compensating for performance.
- Price: Price on application
- Duration: Program duration - 3 months. Course length - 2 weeks
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both? Online
- How many hours of instruction: 3-5 hours per week
- Eligibility Requirements: Hiring managers, talent recruiters, and professionals looking for a career in talent acquisition
9. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD)
The CIPD is a 100-year-old professional body striving to set professional standards for HR and people development. The organization is driving positive change in the world of work.
CIPD offers qualifications for professionals at every stage in their HR journey. Upon successful course completion, you're awarded a membership ranking according to your skill set.
The specific course for recruitment offered is called Recruitment & Selection Essential Insights. It will help you attract and select the candidates that drive organizational performance and provide the background and baseline knowledge and information to assist further learning in the topic.
During this course, you will:
- Recognize the key elements of the recruitment process
- Takeaway tactics for attracting a diverse applicant base
- Understand the importance of clearly defining the role and capabilities required
- Gain a deeper understanding of the hiring process from application to interview
- Discuss how to welcome new hires into your organization.
- Price: Membership ranges from £98 for students to £260 for Affiliate
- Duration: Self-paced using downloadable course workbooks
- Exam Required: Unknown
- Online, In-Person, or both? Online
- How many hours of instruction: Flexible access - some take just 30-45 minutes per lesson
- Eligibility Requirements: None openly stated on the website. This course is ideal for recruitment beginners.
10. LinkedIn: Build Skills as a Corporate Recruiter
This tailored LinkedIn recruitment course explores the critical role that corporate recruiters play in talent management. You’ll uncover tactics to source talent, screen resumes, interview candidates, and create successful onboarding experiences.
Explore best practices and techniques for external recruiters, including how to make the best use of your time and set expectations for clients and candidates.
- Price: Free
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both? Online
- How many hours of instruction: 6h 10
- Eligibility Requirements: None specified
11. Human Resource Management Graduate Certificate
Established in 1988, this certification is perfect for recruiters striving to learn about all aspects of human resources. Potential future placements include internships and field roles.
Study with an HR-specialized faculty who focus on hands-on applications and have a track record of guiding students towards successful work placements and careers.
The program also has a rich network of professionals and mentorship programs via the IGS Industry and the Community Connector Hub - connecting students with the necessary career resources.
Note: the training programs provided are unique to Canada.
- Price: $440 program application fee + $5966.40 tuition per year
- Duration: 3 semesters
- Exam Required: Unknown
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Online and in-person
- How many hours of instruction: 36-40 hours per course
- Eligibility Requirements: Bachelor’s degree
12. DevSkiller Tech Recruitment Certification
Level up your technical hiring skills with this Tech Recruitment Certification Course. Get a close-up view of the challenges typically faced by IT recruiters, creative sourcing techniques, and hiring process optimization hacks.
Getting certified proves your skills in the field of Tech HR and lets you outshine other recruiters. The course is packed full with the latest information about the developer landscape, findings of industry reports and data on the current IT recruitment process.
It also comprises tried and true tricks of industry experts so you can turn knowledge into action and effective tools designed to boost your HR metrics.
- Price: Free
- Duration: Self-paced: 2 ebooks with 19 chapters
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Online
- Eligibility Requirements: None specified, but it is ideal for recruiters that hire programmers, coders, developers and software engineers
13. Talent Management Practitioner (TMP™)
The Talent Management Practitioner (TMP™) certification is provided by the Talent Management Institute (TMI). It’s ideal for individuals graduating with an HR major or similar discipline from university, business school, or an HR institution.
Your HR degree, coupled with a talent management qualification, is a reliable way to establish your career in a high-paying talent management function post-graduation. Course topics include employer branding, candidate experience, employee engagement, and analytics-driven recruitment strategies.
Completing the TAS course will prove your data-driven recruitment competencies and help you excel in your current job.
Price: $625
Duration: Self-paced
Exam Required: Yes
Online, In-Person, or both?: Online
How many hours of instruction: N/A
Eligibility Requirements: There are certain educational and work experience requirements specific to each certification type.
14. Recruiter Certification Program
The Recruiter Certification Program is for both new and senior recruiters.
Covering a comprehensive set of modules with the necessary techniques to improve recruiting abilities, client management skills, and overall cycle management. RCP is an interactive program delivered through seven primary modules, with ancillary modules covering additional topics such as advanced sourcing skills and performance metrics.
- Price: $699
- Duration: Self-paced
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both?: Online
- How many hours of instruction: N/A
- Eligibility Requirements: None
15. George Brown College
The college offers a Recruitment and Selection course aimed at recruiters looking to upskill their knowledge of application search, screening, and interviewing with a view to ensuring a bias-free approach.
This particular course will provide you with in-depth information on how to remain impartial during the interview process.
- Price: $310 per module
- Duration: 6 weeks per module
- Exam Required: Yes
- Online, In-Person, or both? Online
- How many hours of instruction: 42 per module
- Eligibility Requirements: Not specified
Final Thoughts
If you’re ready to take your recruitment career to the next level for better opportunities, consider taking one of the courses we’ve listed here.
The above recruitment certifications and training programs can help you achieve your goals. A self-paced course is ideal if you’ve already got a busy career, and can make it easier for you to create a balance between work and career development.
FAQs
Is taking a recruitment certification worth it?
While taking a recruitment certification isn’t a must-have, and plenty of HR professionals progress without one, an investment in your own development is never a bad thing. Taking a recruitment certification course will help you to:
- Gain new knowledge and skills to add more value to your organization
- Determine whether you’re really interested in pursuing a talent acquisition career in the long-term
- Network with other like-minded professionals
- Challenge yourself
- Demonstrate dedication to current and future employers
Which are the most common recruitment certifications?
The three most common recruitment certifications at the moment are delivered by AIRS:
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- Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter (CDR) certification: focusing on improving diversity and inclusion in talent acquisition.
- Professional Recruiter Certification: a full cycle recruitment training session that helps recruiting professionals prepare the best talent acquisition strategies.
- Certified Technical Recruiter: provides a comprehensive understanding of the technical recruiting and the sourcing landscape to support an effective IT recruiting strategy, from research to communicating with candidates.
Further Resources
If you’re looking for more recruitment resources, check out:
- Guide to Talent Hunting: 17 Best Recruiting Books Unveiled
- Recruitment Compliance: A Comprehensive Guide
- 10 Best DEI Certifications
- The 25 Best HR Certification Courses
- Top 17 Recruitment Podcasts
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