Recruiter and Onboarding Specialist in Knoxville, Tennessee at Knox Area Rescue Minist

Recruiter & Onboarding Specialist

KARM Stores | Knoxville, TN

Full-Time | Salaried

KARM Stores is looking for a Recruiter & Onboarding Specialist to help attract, hire, and welcome great people into our mission-driven organization. This role supports the full-cycle hiring process for assigned store locations and departments, while also helping ensure new hires have a smooth, organized, and positive onboarding experience.

If you are highly organized, people-focused, and passionate about helping connect the right people to the right opportunities, this could be a great fit.

About KARM Stores

KARM Stores is the retail arm of Knox Area Rescue Ministries. Every role at KARM Stores supports a greater mission of serving people in need throughout our community. When you join our team, you become part of work that is bigger than retail — work that makes a real difference.

What You’ll Do

In this role, you will:

• Manage recruiting activity for assigned stores, departments, or regions
• Review applications and move qualified candidates through the hiring process
• Conduct candidate outreach by phone, email, text, and other approved platforms
• Complete initial candidate screenings to evaluate qualifications, availability, and job fit
• Coordinate phone, virtual, and in-person interviews with hiring leaders
• Maintain timely follow-up with applicants and deliver a positive candidate experience
• Partner with store and department leaders to understand staffing needs and hiring priorities
• Monitor open requisitions and candidate pipelines to support hiring efficiency
• Support hiring events, job fairs, community recruiting efforts, and store-based hiring initiatives
• Assist with job posting updates and maintain accurate advertisement content in recruiting systems
• Document candidate activity and hiring progress accurately in approved systems
  

Onboarding & Orientation Responsibilities

• Support the onboarding process from offer acceptance through first-day readiness
• Communicate with new hires regarding orientation details, required documents, start dates, and first-day instructions
• Assist with new hire paperwork, onboarding steps, and system readiness
• Coordinate or facilitate portions of orientation as assigned
• Track onboarding completion and follow up on missing items or barriers to start
• Partner with HR and leadership teams to help create a smooth transition from candidate to employee
• Support early retention efforts by helping new hires feel prepared, welcomed, and connected
  

What We’re Looking For

Qualified candidates will typically have:

• Experience in recruiting, staffing, talent acquisition, onboarding, HR support, or a related field
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• The ability to manage multiple priorities with urgency and professionalism
• Strong follow-through and attention to detail
• The ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality
• Comfort using Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and hiring or HR systems
• Experience in retail, nonprofit, high-volume hiring, or multi-location recruiting is preferred
• Associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered

Work Environment & Schedule

This is a full-time salaried position. The regular schedule is generally Monday through Friday during business hours, though occasional evening or weekend availability may be needed for hiring events, outreach efforts, or business needs. Local travel to stores and hiring events may also be required.

Why Join KARM Stores?

At KARM Stores, your work matters. You won’t just be filling roles — you’ll be helping build teams that support a mission of hope, dignity, and transformation across East Tennessee.

Join us and help connect people to meaningful work with purpose.