Senior Specialist, Recruitment

As the Senior Specialist, Recruitment at the Southern Poverty Law Center, your key responsibilities include sourcing and engaging qualified candidates for internship and fellowship programs, collaborating with hiring managers to understand their needs, and developing effective recruitment strategies. You will also build relationships with colleges and universities, coordinate recruitment events, and manage all aspects of the applicant tracking system to ensure a smooth hiring process while creating a positive candidate experience.

To be considered for the Senior Specialist, Recruitment role at the Southern Poverty Law Center, you need at least 5 years of experience in recruitment or a similar HR role. It's essential to have experience managing programs related to employer college relations and recruitment. A certification in recruitment or HR, such as PHR or SHRM-CP, is preferred, along with a high school diploma or GED. Experience working with diverse student populations is highly valued.

The Southern Poverty Law Center prioritizes a positive candidate experience for the Senior Specialist, Recruitment role by establishing clear communication throughout the hiring process. This includes providing timely feedback, offering support during interviews, and maintaining an applicant tracking system to keep candidates informed. Additionally, SPLC's commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that all candidates feel valued and respected throughout their journey.

To succeed as a Senior Specialist, Recruitment at the Southern Poverty Law Center, essential skills include strong communication abilities—both written and verbal—along with excellent organizational skills to manage various recruitment projects. Demonstrated experience in human resources recruitment, familiarity with sourcing techniques, and the capability to collaborate effectively across teams are also critical. A deep understanding of SPLC's mission and commitment to equity is vital to create meaningful recruitment strategies.

The minimum starting salary for the Senior Specialist, Recruitment position at the Southern Poverty Law Center is $73,832.00 annually, with the potential for an increased salary based on relevant experience. As this is an exempt role, SPLC also offers a comprehensive benefits package, emphasizing the organization's commitment to staff welfare and professional growth.

In answering this question, showcase your background in recruiting within educational settings and highlight any specific programs you have managed. Emphasizing your familiarity with various sourcing techniques and how you've successfully connected with career services offices or student organizations can demonstrate your ability in this area.

Discuss your strategy for outreach, including attending career fairs, networking events, and engaging with student organizations. Highlight any previous successes in establishing partnerships and how you plan to maintain these relationships effectively over time.

Explain your understanding of important recruitment metrics, such as time-to-fill, candidate quality, and diversity hiring rates. Emphasize your experience in analyzing these metrics to improve recruitment strategies and achieve successful hiring outcomes.

Share your thoughts on implementing inclusive hiring practices, such as reaching out to underrepresented student populations, utilizing diverse sourcing channels, and promoting equitable opportunities within the recruitment process. It's crucial to align your approach with SPLC's mission and values.

Discuss techniques you've used to maintain candidate interest, such as regular communication, personalized outreach, and the creation of engaging recruitment materials. Providing examples of how you've enhanced the candidate experience can be very impactful.

Provide examples of challenges you have faced in recruitment and the specific strategies you implemented to overcome them. Discuss your problem-solving approach and ability to adapt your plans when necessary.

Talk about the specific applicant tracking systems you have used and how you've leveraged them to streamline the recruitment process. Emphasize your attention to detail in maintaining accurate data and using insights to improve recruitment strategies.

Share your approach to ensuring that all candidates feel valued and respected throughout the hiring process. Discuss practices such as providing timely feedback, creating a welcoming recruiting environment, and being transparent about the hiring timeline.

Outline a particular recruiting campaign where your efforts led to a significant increase in candidates, particularly from underrepresented groups if possible. Detail the strategies you used, the outcome achieved, and any lessons learned.

Research SPLC's mission and goals beforehand to showcase your knowledge during the interview. Emphasize your alignment with their values and discuss how your recruitment strategies can support their commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.