Ever feel like your day just flies by? From reading resumes to posting jobs and interviewing candidates, the 8 to 5 can evaporate quickly for recruiters. But while fast days can be a good thing, it can sometimes leave you feeling stressed or worse, behind.
Rescue your time with these tips for recruiters.
It’s not impossible to balance daily recruiting responsibilities and maximize your time while finding the best talent. Try these four tips to reclaim your time and focus on your most mission-critical tasks:
- Avoid last-minute meetings. The ‘pop in’ is a notorious time waster in every office, but for recruiters they can prove costly. One or two minutes here and there may not seem like a big deal, but when you have three, four or even five people popping in to your office for a few minutes every day, they can quickly turn into hours wasted. Not only do you lose the actual time speaking with colleagues, but you lose time and focus on the tasks at hand. In other words, you have to break away from what you’re doing then get yourself back on task. Often times, this time doubles (or even triples) those ‘few minutes’ you were initially going to lose! When you are heads down on mission-critical work, let your coworkers know that you’ll be unavailable. If you have a ‘chat’ or ‘email’ program that allows you to set your status, be sure to set your status to ‘busy’ or ‘unavailable’ when you’re working on your most important tasks. Then, be sure to stick to your guns. If an unexpected pop in stops by, smile and politely let your colleague know that you’re unavailable now, but stop by at XX time and you’re happy to help (or, ask if it’s something that can be handled via email).
- Turn off email notifications. While some issues may be better relegated to email, the most productive recruiters manage email effectively. ‘Inbox zero’ is a nice goal, but it can seem intimidating or even impossible for many. As a result, many recruiters receive constant email notifications, dealing with emails as they come in throughout the day in order to prevent a backlogged inbox. While this may seem like a good idea, constantly checking your email means that you’re not actually working on work! Instead of being constantly on call for email, set certain times throughout the day to check and handle your messages. This way, you can stay focused on tasks as they land in front of you and can avoid distractions provided by emails throughout the 9 to 5. (Hint: This also works well for voicemail messages).
- Set a plan for your day (but know it likely won’t be exact). Take a few minutes at the end of each work day to outline your goals and set expectations for the following day. While pop-up meetings, client calls and last-minute interviews will come up from time to time, having an idea of your must-dos and scheduled calls or meetings ahead of time can allow you to prioritize your time effectively and more efficiently handle interruptions or disruptions to your day.
- Partner with a staffing firm. One of the best ways to eliminate unnecessary time wasters and allow you to focus on mission critical steps is to partner with a staffing firm (such as Helpmates!). We take on the most time-intensive tasks of recruiting and only present you with the most qualified candidates for your job openings, freeing you to focus your interviewing efforts on top tier candidates who are ready to step in and make an immediate impact. Rather than sifting through thousands of resumes, you’ll only see the most highly qualified few at the top of the pack. Whether you need help vetting candidates at the onset or would like someone to take on a bulk of the process, your staffing partner can help eliminate unnecessary steps and burden on your organization.
We can help your organization better maximize its talent investment. Our network of talent includes top professionals in a range of disciplines across Southern California. Contact your nearest Helpmates office to learn more about how we can help your organization.
