How to take advantage of summer trends while maintaining balance
For a recruiter, more roles to work means more opportunities—opportunities for meaningful connections with candidates, for increased compensation through successful placements, and for immersing oneself deeper into the market and the culture of various clients. However, busier times can also lead to burnout. Burnout can cause you to feel drained, depleted, and unable to cope with current work demands (Merriam-Webster). In the very worst cases, burnout can not only lead to disengaged workers, but it can also lead to higher levels of attrition, as those workers seek out new roles where they can find a better balance.
Good news—there are strategies you can use that will help you take advantage of busier hiring times while also enacting boundaries and maintaining balance.
Set Realistic Expectations
When roles come flooding in and expectations from clients or hiring managers are high, it can be hard not to feel like every role needs to be filled as quickly as possible. That is simply not realistic. Triage the highest priority openings and take your time to ensure you are focusing on quality over quantity. Often, investing a little more time at the beginning can save you time in the long run; by ensuring you find the best personality, skills, and culture fit who will accept an offer and stick around to see it through.
It’s also important to remember that there is only so much you can control. Recruiting is an interesting market, where the product isn’t a software or a physical tool—it’s people. People change their minds, people go off-market, and people can and will always find a way to surprise you. When something goes astray, whether it be a rejected offer or a candidate pausing their job search, remember that it is part of the challenge of working in a people-centric industry. Take a deep breath and move on to the next task!
Use Time Wisely
The bulk of recruiting and hiring centers around the same tasks—searching or “sourcing” for candidates, reaching out to try and set up phone calls, having those initial screening calls, moving them on to the interview process, etc. When possible, try to bulk out some of your tasks to help streamline the rest of your day. Spend the morning searching for candidates and creating targeted lists. Set up calls for pre-determined blocks of time later in the week. Prepare messaging and questions to ask during screenings, ensuring a uniform and ready approach. Hopping back and forth from one task to another can cause you to feel scattered and stressed.
Another way to use your time wisely is to take advantage of the technology at hand. AI and ChatGPT can help with creative search strings or to sift through a convoluted job description; they can assist with initial sourcing and with messaging or interview preparations for you and candidates alike. Using the tools at your disposal is a smart way to get a boost where you need it most.
Build in Room for Breaks
Perhaps the most significant contributor to burnout is working too hard for too long. It’s incredibly important to set boundaries and build in set times for breaks, where you can get up from your desk, stretch your legs, grab a drink or a snack, and maybe even get outside. These moments of rest are great for you both physically and mentally; no one wants eye strain from staring at a screen, and no one wants brain fog from being deep in the work weeds for too long. Don’t be afraid to literally block these break times off on your calendar as well. Rest is just as important as a meeting or a scheduled call.
