A Recruiter Reflecting on the New Year

Posted by Jonathan Kidder on December 27, 2019January 29, 2023

With the New Year fast approaching it’s a good time to reflect. I’ve had major ups and major downs during the past year. As Recruiters and Sourcers we are all about setting goals and meeting our weekly and monthly metrics. I remember starting my career at an agency and we would have daily “red zone” updates where the team would give an update on what they had in the pipeline for that week.

My professional career has been driven by metrics and goals which I do value. I’ve been very successful in a sourcing recruiting role for the past decade. However, there are things outside of goals and metrics that I have not always taken into account. My wife (a therapist) has encouraged me to look at the bigger picture and reflect on the bigger successes of my career. She points me toward things that I want to incorporate more like mindfulness and taking breaks throughout my day. With the help of my wife, she has suggested these mental exercises for me to do on a regular basis within my work duties. As you reflect on the New Year and create goals for 2020, I hope you can take something away from these self-care suggestions she’s written.

Hydrate, Eat Well, Sleep

So basic, but so important. We simply cannot operate efficiently as humans if we are neglecting our bodies. The Minnesota Gophers had a record-breaking season this year, and one thing they attribute this to is the purposeful changes they’ve made in the sleep hygiene of student-athletes, estimating that it gave them a 5-8% advantage on the field. Sleep serves a number of purposes: it makes you sharper and less prone to errors and incorporates the things that you learned throughout the day into your memory. It’s easy to see how this can translate into more effective recruiting and sourcing. In addition to sleep, ensure that you are hydrating and feeding your body properly. It’s not a far stretch to compare recruiters to athletes, both benefit from being at the peak of mental and physical wellness.

Take Regular Breaks

This is something I try to remind the WizardSourcer to do. He will often get in the zone when he’s working and will forget to take breaks, which means at the end of the day he is mentally exhausted. Work (and life) is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself, pay attention to your mind and body and honor when it needs a break throughout the day. Set a timer on your phone for breaks and don’t eat lunch at your desk. Practicing this will allow you to have a happier and more balanced work day.

Take your PTO

Burnout is very real, and a burnt out recruiter is an ineffective one. It’s possible that you are saving your PTO for a rainy day, or a vacation that you keep meaning to take. Studies show that taking vacation time leads to increased job satisfaction, which makes a lot of sense. Taking vacation time is a chance for you to renew bonds with friends, family, and yourself. When you can come back to work refreshed and renewed, the quality of your work will reflect this.

Build a Meaningful Life Outside of Work

To the best of your ability, try not to bring work home with you. Strive for a solid boundary between work and home, so that you can give your full self to each. Connect with your community outside of work— college friends, church family, a bowling league— whatever that may look like. Seek hobbies that are fulfilling to you, so that you have a full life outside of the context of what you do. Again, this allows you to be your full and best self both at and outside of work.

Self Worth

Repeat after me: my job does not determine my worth. Pay attention to whether this resonates with you. If it does, you can set an intention to change this message. Some of us were taught from a very young age that our career and our self-worth were inextricably linked. It’s simply not true. You are valuable no matter what you do. You are worthy aside from the number of hires that you have. As we strive for better self-care, remember that it all starts in the things we believe about ourselves.

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Jonathan Kidder

With more than 12 years of recruitment experience, Jonathan has helped startups and small businesses find the talent they need. He runs the blog WizardSourcer, which explores the latest trends in talent sourcing, provides reviews of recruitment tools, and features interviews with prominent figures in the industry.