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Permalink Reply by Kathy Keirsted on April 17, 2012 at 11:04am

Before starting my work day I take a few minutes of silence.  I always remind myself why I do this job and what good I bring to the world.  I help take care of families.  I help people who may feel down and out about themselves and their lives gain their confidence.  Being a Recruiter is an honor - you help successful people, you help some people who are passionate to become successful.  If you focus on the greater good and do the best you can every day (some days will be better than others), your numbers will follow. 

If the day becomes too crazy (and we've all had them) I take a few minutes to do Contractor care - this type of call is typically enough to get me over the hump and on to my next successful placement.

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Plunkett on April 17, 2012 at 12:53pm

I start my day with a workout to burn up any / all negative energy and release those endorphins.  I will usually finish up my day with a glass of wine or a cold beer.  Just a small reward at the end of the day - having something to look forward to - really keeps me going.

I also take short breaks throughout my day to get away from my desk and see what the rest of the world is up to.  I work from home, so I'll hang out with my kids for a few minutes, go for a walk or visit my wife.

I've also got a pretty decent recruiting routine that minimizes stress.  I try to pro actively anticipate and mitigate stress-causing problems with clients and candidates.  

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Permalink Reply by Brian K. Johnston on April 19, 2012 at 11:20am

Stick to daily # goals...

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Permalink Reply by Brandon Plunkett on April 19, 2012 at 11:28am

Just out of curiosity, what kinds of # goals do you set for yourself, Brian?

Brian K. Johnston said:

Stick to daily # goals...

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Permalink Reply by Valentino Martinez on April 20, 2012 at 3:25am

STRESS gets a bad rap because, well--it can kill you.

And recruitment is not for everyone.

So part of the logic of how to "avoid recruiting burnout" would be to tip-toe around those situations, challenges and happenstances that begin to overwhelm you. 

Therefore, one way to avoid recruiting burnout would be to purchase some ballet shoes and tiptoe around any situation that portends to be stressful.  In this way you can avoid recruiting burnout.  Another way to avoid burnout is to learn from others who have been down the recruitment road and can tell you where the burn lies.  

I welcome the stress that comes with the diversity of experiences that come and go with the job of being a recruiter.  STRESS, by its nature, has good and not so good aspects--and there is the rub.  Distinguishing between what alerts you to take action, retreat, freeze and re-group—will define your survivability as a recruiting professional. So, yes--by all means avoid the burn when you feel it coming but be open to take a little heat because it goes with the job.

I take the attitude of going head-on into each recruiting foray asserting my problem solving skills honed from forty years of being in the trenches of recruitment.  Come what may you learn in an instant if your last decision passes muster.  Some do & some don’t.  Street smarts become second nature after a while—try it and continue to sharpen your skills each time you’re called upon to deliver a recruiting result...you can learn from and live by.

So, own-it—or avoid it, whatever comes your way in the job of recruitment.  Learn from your mistakes (there will be many) and your successes (there better be many)—then rest-up and get-up again to take on the next challenge…come what may.

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