Posted by Jonathan Kidder on January 3, 2020February 3, 2023

It takes more than blood, sweat, and tears in order to succeed at recruiting. You need to have a drive and passion for what you are trying to accomplish. You will face major ups and downs that not many other industry professionals will experience in their careers.

The responsibilities of a professional recruiter include everything from employer branding, to attracting qualified talent, to interviewing potential candidates, negotiating offers, and finally closing the deal.

The job of a recruiter is comprised of an array of tasks that vary based on client or hiring managers’ needs yet always with the goal of building a company’s team that will enable them to grow and succeed. As a recruiter, you’re consistently working to find the best talent available and in order to keep up the momentum, you must also be the best at what you do. That means creating and following a daily routine that will enable your ongoing success.

Why having daily routines is important in recruiting?

Building daily routines is important for recruiters as it helps them:

Stay organized and prioritize tasks effectively
Increase productivity and efficiency
Maintain a healthy work-life balance
Improve time management skills
Ensure that important tasks and follow-ups are not missed

Having a structured routine can also help recruiters stay focused and motivated, which can ultimately lead to better results and job satisfaction.

Vacation to Colorado Springs

Last summer, we went to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado with some family friends. I’m not much of a climber and it’s hard to tell from this photo but I’m only several feet off the ground. In a way, I was faking a successful climb and in recruiting sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. In order to be successful long term you will need to build in a “daily routine.” For me, that includes sticking to a daily calendar schedule. It’s boring but it works for me.

Daily Routines of a Successful Recruiter:

Below is a list of habits used by some of the most successful recruiters that I know and just by implementing all or just a few of them into your daily regimen, you’ll enhance your productivity and enjoy a well-balanced successful life.

1. Focus on the Big Picture

The most successful recruiters maintain focus on the company as a whole. In order to do this, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the processes, other team members, and the overall company culture. Then, as you assess the individual skills, traits, and personalities of applicants, you’ll be able to find the perfect candidate. You will need to sell the project. What is the team working on in there day today? What problems are they trying to solve?

2. Plan Your Day in Advance

Whether you prefer to plan your day the evening before or first thing in the morning, creating a plan of action will help you maintain focus and achieve the all-important step-by-step processes that bring you closer to the goal, even when the unexpected arises. I start my week on Sunday night. I go through my emails and prepare for Monday morning. This mindset helps me to prepare for the week ahead.

3. Truly Connect with Candidates

Nowadays, potential employees place a lot of importance on the initial conversation when considering working for a company. As a recruiter, you are the face of the company you’re hiring for, making you a candidate’s first point of contact.

For this reason, it is essential that you give your full attention to the candidates who you are screening and interviewing. This ensures that candidates consistently have a positive experience, giving you an edge when it comes to attracting and hiring top-quality talent.

When you’re on the phone with the applicant try and connect with them at a relationship level. Just this week I had an applicant talk about their wedding planning. I asked further questions and made them feel valued. When I ended the call I made sure to congratulate them. I also added notes in my sourcing tracker on life events. Make sure to include that bit of info when you do a follow up in the future.

4. Review Daily Accomplishments

At the end of the day, take time to reflect and weigh in on how satisfied you are with what you have achieved. This allows you the opportunity to learn from mistakes, adjust your strategy, give yourself a pat on the back, and assess your progress. Also, this helps to plan for the following day.

5. Block out Personal Time

Regardless of how busy or demanding your profession is, it is essential to your health and happiness that you make time for fun, family, friends, and relaxation. End each and every day with at least a couple hours of downtime. Taking at least a couple hours in the evening to nurture yourself on a personal level will promote quality sleep so you’ll feel re-energized for work the following day. I enjoy reading novels at a time… I also don’t check my email inbox after 6 pm. It allows me to stay refreshed.

I wrote a book that goes into detail on productivity hacks for recruiters (here)

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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.