As a recruiter, your job is to get the best talent through your company or client’s door. It’s about constantly working with people, assessing their skills, strengths, and character, and determining whether they’d be the right fit for an open position. You’re a marketer and a matchmaker – and at various times, a problem solver, hand-holder, psychologist, crisis manager, and sales specialist.
You wear a lot of hats. Or maybe it’s just one big one. How can you best handle it all on a day-to-day basis? Here are six helpful daily habits to adopt:
1. Always focus on your candidates.
The candidate experience has always been critically important, but in today’s market, it’s vital. Focus on what candidates need throughout the hiring process. Respond openly and clearly to every question. Candidates will feel more confident knowing their inquiries are answered promptly. Listen actively.
2. Think ahead.
Every company has plans for the future, as does every candidate. Stay up to date on all those plans and see which ones mesh together, and how. This may mean pinpointing a candidate who’s not the best choice for the job you’re currently working on but who might be a perfect fit at some point down the line.
3. Effectively manage your time.
Time management is a must in the recruiting field. Task prioritization and organization are the paths that take you there. Maintain a strict but realistic calendar, and check off tasks as you get them done. This literally gets you high, as your brain releases a small amount of dopamine, motivating you to work on the next item on your list.
4. Embrace technology.
Keep up with advances in HR technology and social media. This is a no-brainer and a total deal-breaker. Otherwise, you might as well hang up that recruiter hat right now, because your competition will quickly leave you in the dust. Implement AI apps and tools and take advantage of automation to streamline your processes. Utilize LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and niche sites where your candidates spend their time. Become a pro at programmatic job advertising. Get to know it all. Again: deal breaker!
5. Eliminate distractions.
As a recruiter, you generally want to maintain an open-door policy and be totally accessible when your candidates, clients, or managers need you. But at times, you simply have to shut the door, literally and/or figuratively. For starters, block out regular time on your calendar to check emails, voice mails, and messages. Otherwise, turn them off during the workday. If that’s just too hard, at the very least, turn your screen settings to grayscale. It’s instantly less fun to check them that way.
6. Track your progress.
Track your candidates and candidate/employer relationships the same way your marketing department tracks its leads. Find the right system, and use it regularly to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.
Build Your Career with Search Wizards
To further develop your career as a recruiter or find your next great opportunity in the business, reach out now to the Search Wizards team of experts. We represent top recruiting and sourcing talent – and that’s all we do. We are recruiters, we know recruiters, and we understand recruiters. So, let us connect you to our amazing resources and client network, starting today.
