At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Human resources and recruitment officers, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages in your area on Job Bank
What you'll do
- Partner with hiring managers to define roles and hiring plans
- Write job postings and source candidates
- Screen candidates and coordinate interviews
- Manage offers and references
- Track hiring metrics and improve the candidate experience
How to get there
- Start as a recruiting coordinator, sourcer, or at a staffing agency.
- Learn sourcing on LinkedIn and other channels, and an applicant tracking system.
- HR education and a CHRP designation help for in-house roles.
Your bilingual advantage
Speaking two languages makes you stand out in Recruiter jobs. Here's where it helps most and how to prove it.
Where bilingual skills are in demand
- Quebec, where French is the language of work and English or other languages often help with clients outside the province
- New Brunswick, Canada's only officially bilingual province
- Ottawa–Gatineau and the federal public service, where many positions are designated bilingual
- National companies serving customers across Canada, and employers serving newcomer communities in other languages
Prove your level
Employers trust a recognized result more than "fluent". For French, common tests include the DELF and DALF diplomas and the TEF and TCF tests. Federal public service jobs use their own Second Language Evaluation (levels A, B and C). Describe your level for speaking, reading and writing separately.
Expect part of the interview in each language
Bilingual employers often switch languages during the interview or give a short written task. Practise answering the questions on this page in both languages.
What employers look for
Usually required
- 2+ years in recruiting, in-house or agency
- Experience with an applicant tracking system
- Strong sourcing skills on LinkedIn and other channels
- Knowledge of fair, non-discriminatory hiring practices
- Excellent communication and organization
Gives you an edge
- Experience hiring in our industry
- French, for hiring in Quebec
How to stand out
Show numbers: roles filled, time to hire, offer acceptance rate.
Name the types of roles you've hired for.
Show you know fair, non-discriminatory hiring practices.
See a full Bilingual Recruiter résumé example, or get our Bilingual Resume Template.
Interview questions to prepare for
Employers hiring for this job often ask questions like these. Prepare a short, specific example for each.
- Walk me through how you filled a hard-to-fill role.
- How do you work with a hiring manager who keeps changing what they want?
- How do you write a job posting that attracts the right people?
- How do you make sure your hiring process is fair?
- Which hiring metrics do you track, and why?
Where it can lead
Your rights and tips as a job seeker in Canada
Know the pay before you apply
In British Columbia and Prince Edward Island, public job postings must include the pay or pay range. In Ontario, so must postings from employers with 25 or more employees made since January 1, 2026. Use the pay on this page to judge whether an offer is fair.
New to Canada?
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees can't ask for Canadian experience in a job posting or application form. For regulated jobs, such as engineering, teaching or a skilled trade, contact the provincial regulator early to have your credentials assessed.
You're protected from discrimination
Human rights laws mean employers can't make hiring decisions based on your age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, or family or marital status. You can ask for accommodation during the hiring process, for example for an interview.
Hear back after interviews
In Ontario, employers with 25 or more employees must tell you within 45 days of your last interview whether a hiring decision has been made for a publicly advertised job.
Never pay to get a job
Real employers don't charge you to apply, to be trained or to be hired, and they don't ask for banking details before an offer. Only share your Social Insurance Number (SIN) after you're hired. Stay safe from job scams
Starting out young?
Each province sets its own minimum working age and limits on hours for young workers. See the rules by province
General information, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; rules depend on your province or territory.
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