How to Say "to recruit" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to recruit” is “reclutar” — use 'reclutar' when you are formally hiring or seeking people to fill specific roles within an organization or group, such as employees or team members..
reclutar
/rreh-kloo-TAR//rekluˈtar/
Examples
La empresa necesita reclutar más ingenieros este mes.
The company needs to recruit more engineers this month.
El ejército reclutó a muchos jóvenes durante la guerra.
The army recruited many young people during the war.
Recluté a mis hermanos para que me ayudaran con la mudanza.
I roped in my brothers to help me with the move.
The Personal 'A'
Since 'reclutar' involves people, you must put an 'a' before the person or group being recruited. Example: 'Reclutar a un amigo'.
A Regular '-ar' Verb
This word follows the standard pattern for verbs ending in -ar, so it is a great one to practice your basic conjugation skills.
Missing the 'A'
Mistake: “Reclutar nuevos empleados.”
Correction: Reclutar a nuevos empleados. Remember to use 'a' when the action is done to a specific person or people.
captar
/kap-TAR//kapˈtaɾ/
Examples
La campaña logró captar muchos clientes nuevos.
The campaign managed to attract many new customers.
Queremos captar la atención de los jóvenes.
We want to catch the attention of young people.
El partido político busca captar más votos en el norte.
The political party is looking to win more votes in the north.
Professional usage
In a business setting, use 'captar' instead of 'conseguir' (to get) to sound more professional when talking about acquiring new business.
enganchar
/en-gan-char//eŋɡanˈtʃaɾ/
Examples
Esa serie de Netflix me enganchó desde el primer minuto.
That Netflix series hooked me from the very first minute.
Se enganchó a los videojuegos y ahora no estudia.
He got hooked on video games and now he doesn't study.
El primer capítulo no me engancha mucho.
The first chapter doesn't really grab me.
Using 'se' to get yourself hooked
When YOU are the one who becomes addicted or obsessed, use the 'se' form: 'engancharse a algo'.
Wrong preposition for addiction
Mistake: “Estoy enganchado con esta serie.”
Correction: Estoy enganchado a esta serie. In Spanish, you are hooked 'to' (a) things, not 'with' (con) them.
Choosing between 'reclutar' and 'captar'
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.