Want a Corporate Recruiting Major? You’re out of Luck at Most Colleges and Universities

The staffing industry is a lucrative business that generates billions of dollars annually, with recruiters and account executives playing a crucial role in its success. These professionals need to have a diverse range of skills and knowledge to excel in their roles, and yet, surprisingly, the field of corporate recruiting is not offered as a standalone area of study at the collegiate level.

According to Staffing Industry Analysts, the staffing industry’s revenues are expected to reach $134.4 billion in 2023. This industry encompasses a wide range of fields, including transportation, workforce management, IT, healthcare, governmental contracting, finance, and accounting.

The skills required for success in the staffing industry are diverse and could easily be taught as part of a baccalaureate degree program in liberal arts or business education. These skills include sales skills, the ability to build strong personal and professional relationships, determination, a competitive spirit, strong analytical skills, the willingness to embrace technology, effective communication skills, and the ability to discern the psychology of the candidate.

Despite the availability of over 260 Human Resources-related undergraduate programs, the courses in recruiting are limited. Most students enrolled in HR as a major will take courses in attraction, selection and development, and talent management. This limited exposure does not qualify as a major in corporate recruiting.

If colleges and universities were to offer corporate recruiting as a standalone major, they could reap financial benefits while also contributing to a crucial sector of the economy that affects all aspects of the world of work. To create such a major, a college or university would need to define the area of study, provide a foundational background in the field, and create a curriculum that blends the core skills required for success in the industry.

For example, a student interested in becoming a recruiter in the life sciences field would need a background in the life sciences discipline, along with strong communication skills and an understanding of business practices. This could be achieved by devoting a quarter of the student’s course load to life sciences, another quarter to communication skills, a third quarter to business-related courses in finance, accounting, and statistics, and the final quarter to core requirements for graduation.

In conclusion, the lack of a standalone major in corporate recruiting is a missed opportunity for colleges and universities to contribute to the staffing industry and provide students with a comprehensive education in this field. By offering such a major, colleges and universities could prepare the next generation of recruiters and account executives to succeed in this lucrative industry.