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    Haunted by Ghost Jobs? 5 Tips for Job Seekers

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    As the saying goes, everything old is new again, and “ghost jobs” are no exception. Over the past decade, we’ve seen the job market favor both employers and job seekers at different times. Since then, the pendulum has continued to swing in both directions as candidates ghost employers while employers post imaginary jobs that mislead candidates.
    There are a number of reasons why employers may choose to go this route. Among the most common are to build a pipeline of candidates to backfill future vacancies, to give the impression of company growth and stability, or to appease overworked employees. Still others may simply choose to post non-existent jobs rather than seeing pre-paid job postings go unused, or find that removing postings for jobs that were filled to be too time consuming.
    Unfortunately, the challenges employers face and their choices for dealing with them can negatively affect job seekers, particularly those who have applied for numerous jobs without receiving a single response. So what can candidates do to help recognize and avoid ghost jobs, while making the best possible impression on employers who may be hiring in the future? Here are a few suggestions.
    Filter by Date
    Though it’s impossible to distinguish real job opportunities from fake ones with 100% certainty, the longer a job has been posted, the more likely it’s not legitimate. If a job has been posted for several months, it’s a good indication that filling the role is not a priority, or the employer simply neglected to remove the post after hiring. Whenever possible, candidates should filter job search results by date and prioritize the most recent listings. This won’t eliminate all ghost jobs, but job searching is often a numbers game, and targeting the newest opportunities first can increase candidates’ odds of receiving a response.
    View Company’s Career Page and Social Media Profiles
    While employers may have an incentive to post ghost jobs, they likely won’t actively promote and recruit for them. Not only would this be a waste of their time, but it could severely damage their employer brand when disgruntled applicants leave negative comments and reviews regarding their (lack of a) hiring process. Job seekers should visit a company’s career page and social media pages in order to determine which roles they are promoting regularly and most anxious to fill.
    Contact Hiring Managers or Recruiters
    When visiting a company’s career page and social media pages, candidates should note whether a hiring manager’s or recruiter’s name and contact info are attached to job postings. If not, they may run a search on LinkedIn to find an employee who works in recruiting or their field of expertise. Candidates can then email these employees or connect with them on LinkedIn and inquire about open positions. Even if the employee is not a recruiter or hiring manager, they may still be willing to help a determined job seeker, particularly if their company has a referral program.
    Tap Your Network
    Networking is not something that can be done last minute when there’s an urgent need. It should be part of both employees’ and job seekers’ regular routines in order to build a trusted source of experts and allies. If candidates apply for a job they feel is a good fit but the employer remains unresponsive, a quick search of their network will reveal if they are connected to any of the company’s current or past employees. If not, posting an inquiry can generate leads that connections may provide. Of course, there’s no guarantee this will yield results. But considering that 30-50% of new hires come from referrals, it’s worth maximizing all resources.
    Demonstrate Your Expertise
    Regardless of how tenacious job seekers are in sourcing leads, applying for roles and contacting employers, none of this matters if they don’t have the skills and experience employers are looking for. Those qualifications should be evident during their job search. Candidates should ensure their LinkedIn profile is updated with work history, certifications, projects, publications and media samples. In addition, they should join groups and share news, blogs and articles with their network that are relevant to their industry or target role. When deciding which candidates to interview out of dozens or hundreds with similar qualifications, employers will likely pursue those whose expertise is evident and who share it on a regular basis.
    As we’ve seen over the past decade, ghost jobs aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, according to Forexlive, a recent surge in imaginary job postings may have contributed to the Federal Reserve’s overconfidence in the strength of the U.S. economy. Though many employers will continue to hedge their bets in an uncertain economy by posting jobs they’re not ready to fill, candidates who know what to look for and take a proactive approach to networking and self-promotion can avoid ghost jobs while increasing their chances of landing one of the real ones.
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      How to Improve Job Security During an Economic Downturn: Career Advice for Recruiters

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      An economic downturn is a notably difficult time for job security for recruiters. Open positions can become scarce to the point where the search for talent may halt. Hiring freezes inherently restrict recruiters and talent acquisition leaders from being able to fulfill their usual duties.  

      “Recruiters need growing businesses to fulfill their function. To deal with this, we need to understand what the reality is. That can give us the right foundation to strategize around staying in the game,” says Recruiting Brainfood’s Curator, Hung Lee, in a past episode of Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast. 

      Leaning on Hung’s insights, let’s dive into how recruiters can protect their own careers during tough times.

      4 ways to strengthen job security and how recruiters can distinguish themselves during an economic downturn

      Expert: Recruiting Brainfood Curator, Hung Lee 

      1. Invest in yourself

      Hung recommends recruiters start by taking the time to expand their skill set. He says, “Upskilling is definitely something recruiters need to do. It is a great time to upskill yourself in areas you could improve… Look at the skills you may have neglected due to operational overload now that you have some capacity.”

      There are a number of free resources “teaching you how to source candidates, do employer branding, copywriting, analytics, and more.”

      Related: Explore workshops and events from our partner, General Assembly

      2. Think ahead to create job security as a recruiter

      While upskilling is critical, Hung says “it would be very wrong to spend 100% of your time doing that because however skilled you may be, you also need to get busy positioning yourself to get opportunities when they emerge. I recommend recruiters think about: Am I in the right market for the near, mid, and long term future?” 

      Following a crisis or recession, “a lot of these industries will certainly come back in a very different form which is often smaller in terms of absolute manpower. That has a knock-on effect for recruiters so think about what industries are going to grow and where the new demand will emerge. Recruiters have to be agile and able to port into growing industries — not hang on to ones that will probably die.”

      3. Apply your recruiting skills to the job search

      “I advise recruiters to apply what they do to themselves. We often apply skills externally and never internally for our own needs — but recruiters need to do that.” 

      “If I’m prospecting as a third-party recruiter for a client base or market to trade in, I would be very sensitive to which markets will grow compared to those likely to shrink. Essentially, recruiters need to apply exactly the same methods and mentality to the job search.” 

      “I think it would be wrong to look for available recruiter jobs and only that. The right thing to do is look at industry sectors you anticipate to grow. Get yourself positioned in those places, build networks there, build contacts, and do the research.”

      “Find yourself on fertile ground. You don’t need to be the best recruiter in the world. If you’re swimming against the tide, you have to be an amazing swimmer. If you’re swimming with the tide you could use a float device and make it to the other side.”

      “Recruiters have native skills directly applicable to jobseeking. You know how to source, retrieve information, research, do a cold open, document, and promote. All of those things need to come together.” 

      “We rarely have our own dog food but in this case, we have to chow down. Think: How would I do this if I was recruiting for a customer or market mapping for a prospect? Engaging in the job search is a very interesting demonstration of the skills, processes, and mindsets you can apply from the job of recruiting.”

      4. Stand out by fostering meaningful connections 

      While traditional routes of applying for a job through a post are legitimate, Hung urges recruiters to pursue less conventional methods too.

      “As a hiring manager I would be more impressed with an explanation involving deep research from analytics, tracking of funding, or some information gathering a recruiter would typically do. With that, you provide evidence of how you would do the job. This mentality will not only help you generate opportunities, but convert them as a result of the techniques you employed to find it.”

      Source for companies with the same precision you source for candidates. 

      “In other words, when we default to jobseeking, we forget the recruiter, or the crude animal in us. We shouldn’t just default to what’s available. Maybe 10% of your time should be applying for jobs and 90% should be doing investigative work to source hidden opportunities and find other ways to connect with the hiring manager.” 

      “Remember the market flipped on us. This is now a candidate-rich market for recruiters. If I was recruiting for a recruiter and I put a job out, I’ll be flooded with candidates. Therefore, as I get more applications, I spend less time on them. In turn, every application has to be closer and closer to the ideal person I’ve imagined.” 

      Hung encourages recruiters to be thoughtful in starting a conversation and demonstrating existing recruiting skills. 

      Focus your efforts wisely

      “Simple mathematics means your chances of being that person will generally be slim. You should go and apply but it shouldn’t be the dominant activity for you as a jobseeker. Instead, do what you have been doing as a recruiter. Treat your job search as the process of gathering information about the best options out there, then figuring out a way to engage with them.”

      “If you do this in the right way, you may catch the opportunity before it becomes public and you might even short-circuit the entire process. Let’s not forget in a candidate-rich market, generally, an employer does not want to advertise the job because it brings a massive applicant flow problem. Ideally, someone wanders in and solves my problem — be that person. Recruiters have the skills to do it. They just have to switch to their usual mentality and put it in a new context.” 

      Related: Job Searching? Online Networking Strategies to Get you Started 

      At the heart of great teams

      Fortune recently called out tech layoffs hitting HR teams especially hard. Experts warn that companies viewing talent-focused roles as far from profit-earning for the organization may be dangerous in the long run. When the economy bounces back, companies that cut recruitment or DEI risk will need to reassemble and may struggle to keep up with competitors after losing this foundational aspect.

      Recruiters are at the heart of building and maintaining great teams. Showcase the value you bring.

      Want more insights just for recruiters?

      Tune into Hired’s podcast, Talk Talent to Me, to learn about the strategies, techniques, and trends shaping recruitment and talent acquisition—straight from top experts themselves. More

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      “Buckle Up and Ride the Economic Storm” Says Veteran Recruiter 

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      As the UK heads towards yet another recession, the common mistakes business leaders make are the knee-jerk reactions of lowering headcount, freezing hiring, and sticking our heads in the sand when it comes to finances. All of which are a sure way to hinder future business growth and undermine overarching business goals. Of course, human beings’ fight or flight mode exists for survival reasons, but these tactics are a very temporary fix to a very long-term problem.
      While we are all guilty of receding to our safe place in times of trouble, business leaders should be buckling up to ride the economic storm to the best of their abilities, with the ultimate aim of coming out the other side ahead of competitors.
      Protect your assets
      While it may be tempting to knee-jerk into headcount reduction during tough economic times – especially with inflation hitting a 40-year high at 9.1 percent – this may end up being more damaging to businesses in the long run.
      Now more than ever, employers should be doing all they can to protect their most valuable assets – their staff. History has taught us time and time again that those who recognize this will be the ones who benefit later down the line. As the market recovered from the 2008 crash, reports showed employees felt their employers had ‘lost sight’ of the support they needed and subsequently, left en masse once things improved.
      Don’t let your talent pipelines dry out
      Staff retention should be a priority during rocky times but hiring managers should be seizing the opportunity to look for talent while the rest of the competition’s heads are down. Ensure that your job adverts are appealing to the correct audience, put some money behind LinkedIn advertising or use the services of a recruitment partner.
      Anything that you can do to raise the profile of your business, communicate your messages with your networks and demonstrate yourselves as an attractive employment prospect, will be crucial to future-proofing your business. It may seem counterintuitive now, but when your competitors are clutching at straws on the rebound, you’ll be thriving.
      Mind out for salary inflation
      The cost-of-living crisis’ grip is tightening, and as such, it may be tempting to raise pay for your staff to offset costs. Triggering a ‘wage-price spiral’ should be approached with caution, as inflationary pay rises are inflationary in itself – and companies will only raise consumer prices further – becoming a vicious cycle we may never venture out of.
      The recent news of management consultant giant PwC announcing a 9 percent pay rise for thousands of staff to offset the costs of living is setting a dangerous precedent. A popular move with staff, of course, but once other businesses follow suit there’s no sight at the end of the tunnel. PwC may well have the best intentions at heart (although remember they are also fighting in the war for talent), but it is a major player, and where it leads, others are sure to follow.
      Understand your finances
      Ensuring that you fully understand your income and expenditure is crucial to remaining in control. In a recession, remember that cash is king. Watch costs like a hawk and ensure that your business has sufficient liquidity to operate for longer than you would expect in normal times.
      The challenge during a recession is always to balance your costs and revenue to ensure that you can still generate profit as well as nurture and protect your valued clients and staff. This may require looking at different outlets for your products or services or mining existing relationships more intelligently (more likely a combination of both).
      What’s next?
      While it’s difficult to predict what the next six months have in store for us, especially with the ever-unstable government, there are already signs in the US that inflationary pressures are beginning to ease. One might expect a leveling off or even the beginning of a decline in inflation in the last quarter of this year.
      Of course, nothing about this economy and the job market is easy. The financial challenges are completely new to some, and ‘yet another hurdle’ for others, but the strategy remains the same. Be cautious but buckle up for the long term. The last thing you want is to emerge from your bunker in six months’ time to find your business landscape decimated.
      If the last two years have taught us anything it’s that we can be agile in the face of uncertainty but also that risks may be well worth taking. After all, it should be a walk in the park compared to navigating through the uncertainties of the pandemic.
      By: Dominic Wade, co-founder of specialist HR and Finance & Accountancy recruitment firm, Wade Macdonald. He founded the firm in the early 90s and since has weathered three financial crises and a pandemic. 
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      How Can Job Seekers Make Themselves More Attractive to Recruiters?

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      Just as the labor market changes quickly and unexpectedly, so too does the recruiting industry. As the workforce rebounds from COVID-19 and unemployment rates continue to drop, job seekers have more options from which to choose, making hiring increasingly difficult for employers, and sourcing top talent more challenging for recruiters.
      Though job seekers may have more options than in the past two years, this doesn’t mean they will all be viable. The Great Resignation has made qualified candidates a rare commodity, making it even more important for both active and passive job seekers to showcase themselves in ways that make them attractive to recruiters when their skills are a match for open positions. Let’s look at some areas job seekers should focus on in order to ensure they appear on recruiters’ radars.
      Prioritize Personal Brand
      A strong personal brand is always an asset to a job search, and for some jobs, it’s essential. Recruiters want to see that candidates maintain a professional online persona. While most job seekers know to optimize their LinkedIn page for their search, if their other social media pages are filled with self-indulgent photos or negative or offensive content, this could be a red flag for recruiters who may be hesitant to submit such candidates to their clients. Similarly, it could be a turn-off to employers who may feel such online behavior shows immaturity or irresponsibility and doesn’t match their values. Despite the common belief that everyone should be free to express themselves, particularly on non-business-related sites like Facebook and Instagram, job seekers should take extra care to send a message of professionalism across all social media platforms.
      Focus Efforts
      It’s not uncommon for recruiters to receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applications for each of their open positions. Job seekers should be sure to only target those positions for which they’re qualified, and not inundate recruiters or employers with resumes for any and all positions to try to gain their attention. This approach may attract the wrong kind of attention, causing the candidate’s name to be remembered for always being unqualified. Instead, job seekers should focus on positions that relate to their skills and experience, and customize their resume for each position they apply to by including relevant keywords from the job description and supporting numbers and accomplishments. Also, candidates who don’t hear back from recruiters after applying should limit their follow-up to one time to avoid coming across as too persistent or aggressive.
      Demonstrate Knowledge
      Job seekers who use their spare time to share news, information, and knowledge with their networks will automatically have an edge over their competition. As recruiters scour the internet and resume databases for top talent, the more choices there are, the more they look for something in candidates’ profiles that makes them stand out. Those who write blogs, share articles, are active in LinkedIn groups, or network and interact with others in the industry make a far better impression than those who only appear interested in having fun online. While not all online activity has to be work-related, job seekers should try to maintain a healthy balance in order to send the right message to recruiters and potential employers.
      Stay Up to Date
      Few things are as frustrating to a recruiter as an interested candidate who has neglected to update his or her contact info. Depending upon whether there are ample qualified candidates to choose from, recruiters will either take time out of their busy schedule to source the candidate’s contact info online or just move on to the next qualified individual. Passive candidates with rare and in-demand skill sets may be indifferent to losing out on an opportunity or creating extra work for recruiters. But for job seekers with a greater sense of urgency, should ensure their contact info is updated and they are easily reachable and quick to respond.
      Continue Learning
      One sure way job seekers can endear themselves to recruiters and prospective employers is through a record of continuous learning. In addition to hiring for education, skills, and experience, most employers also want to hire candidates who are always looking to acquire knowledge. This may be more difficult for those currently employed in a demanding field. However, for job seekers needing to break up the monotony of a full-time search, taking a class or working toward a certification could give them an edge when competing with a number of other qualified candidates.
      Volunteer
      Regardless of industry, every recruiter and employer looks favorably upon volunteerism. During the hiring process, recruiters often take note of what candidates do in their spare time in order to determine how they may fit with a company’s culture. Those who donate their time to charitable causes while listing their volunteer activities on their resume or sharing them on social media show recruiters that they share values with employers committed to community involvement and that they’re interested in helping others and working for something greater than just a paycheck.
      The recruiting industry is constantly evolving. As decreasing unemployment rates have made sourcing top talent more difficult, applicant tracking systems, big data, and artificial intelligence have attempted to streamline talent identification, while also causing recruiters’ roles to change in the hiring process. In response, job seekers must ensure they remain adaptable as well. Though knowledge and experience will always be in demand, candidates must focus on those skills and attributes that will make them stand out among others with similar backgrounds, and how to showcase these to recruiters. Regardless of changes to the job market or recruiting technology, job seekers who do this will have the greatest success transitioning into the workforce.
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      5 Ways Recruitment Leaders Can Transform Their Email Marketing Content

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      Every day, four billion email users are tapping into email marketing – a low-cost but highly effective digital comms tool. And for recruiters, it’s not only an easy way to engage with candidates on a one-to-one level, but it can also open up doors to new opportunities.
      However, that doesn’t mean to say that each piece of content landing in a jobhunter’s inbox will be acted upon or even looked at. There must be a compelling reason as to why they should interact with what they’ve received and ultimately place their career search in the hands of specific recruitment professionals.
      What that means today is, it’s no longer best practice to send out hundreds of bland emails to a bunch of prospective candidates – containing an irrelevant message that’s loosely received by all – in the hope that an individual might take up the offer presented to them. It’s about providing comms that are valuable and helpful to ease the strains of a monotonous job search.
      The good news here is, there are a multitude of ways in which email marketing can encourage candidates to engage, and even if they’ve never previously interacted with the recruiter too. Here are five areas recruiters should focus on if they want their next comms campaign to be a raging success…
      1. Always opt for clickable subject lines
      If a job hunter isn’t interested in the first line they see, they’ll be highly unlikely to open and digest the content – regardless of how carefully crafted the content is. After all, 50% of a user’s decision to engage with an email is all to do with the brand itself. The other half? The subject line. So remember:

      Get straight to the point: Examples such as ‘Junior PHP Developer Wanted: Near Newcastle’ or ‘Experienced B2B Copywriter Needed’
      Think about verbs: What should the recipient do? Will it be ‘Read Our Top Tips Guide On Job Interviews’ or ‘Learn How To Create A Cover Letter’
      Don’t forget the proof: In a nutshell, ‘88% Of Candidates Want Hybrid Working’
      Could there also be a question? To provoke debate – examples include, ‘Are You Tired Of The Commute?’ or ‘What Would You Do With A £45k Salary?’
      Then there’s the urgency: ‘Hurry, It’s The Last Day To Apply!’ or ‘Be Quick, Send Your CV Today!’
      And remember to personalize where possible: This is ideal when it comes to adding an ultra-individualized touch. For example, ‘Hi [name], I Was Impressed With Your CV’ or ‘[first name], [company name] Was Mentioned Today…’

      2. Be clear with what the recipient needs to do
      Once someone has engaged with the subject line, what should a recruiter do next? Here’s where the nurture comes in – and it’s easy to do.
      Simply split up valuable email content over a series of email sends to truly keep a candidate interested throughout the journey. Plus, this technique provides recruitment professionals with even more opportunities to say what they want their readers to do without it coming across as aggressive or a ‘hard sell’.
      A 10-word headline and focused call to action work well. Not only is this a succinct way of doing it, but there also won’t be any confusion as to what the end goal is. For example, ‘Book An Appointment’ or ‘Download Our Guide’.
      And never alienate people with jargon-heavy language or tiny text that’s impossible to read on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device. Think about font size, colors, and the overall sentence structure to ensure candidates are provided with ultimate accessibility to all the relevant information.
      3. Ever heard of the ‘Squint Test’?
      If not, do it now. Sit back and squint before reading the email headline, call to action, and viewing the main image.
      Does it still read well and look engaging?
      If elements are spaced out, sized nicely, and are still able to stand out – that’s gold dust! Plus, the recipient is more likely to interact with the comms because they’re not trying to figure out a clunky sentence or being taken aback by a sea of color clashes. Simple and effective is the way forward.
      4. Think about including ‘trampoline’ email content
      Whatever sits below the email headline and call to action is what’s referred to as the ‘trampoline’. Why? Simple – it’s designed to bounce the reader back up to what they should be clicking on if they want to access more detail.
      If recruiters are still unsure as to what this copy might entail, think about including reviews and testimonials to invoke trust and authenticity, or reference related products and articles such as ‘You Might Also Like…’
      5. Personalization, personalization, personalization
      For every piece of content that’s heading into a candidate’s inbox, always hyper-personalize the comms. The easiest and swiftest way to do this is by plugging in an intuitive marketing automation platform that’s built to enable users to send targeted, ultra-individualized emails specifically to segmented groups. And it’s more than a ‘Hi [first name]’ introduction – it’s all about sending the right message to the right person, at the right time.
      These are only some of the ways in which recruiters can drive a greater level of interaction and get to know candidates on a much deeper level. Having a relationship built on trust – and which is beneficial to both parties – can be powerful, and that’s before considering how much it can positively impact a professional’s conversion rate.
      By Adam Oldfield, CEO of marketing automation platform Force24
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      3 Reasons Why Recruiters Should Invest in Marketing Automation

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      When the world is extremely busy online, ensuring that a carefully crafted piece of email content doesn’t end up straight in a candidate’s ‘delete’ folder, should be a high priority for a recruitment agency’s marketing department.
      But when over 300 billion business emails are sent globally every day, it can often seem an uphill struggle when trying to cut through a vast amount of digital noise. However, industry professionals can give themselves a competitive advantage and ensure they’re speaking to the right people about the right jobs opportunities when they plug in intuitive marketing automation.
      That’s because it’s designed to not only make life simpler but, in this instance, liberate marketing campaigns for recruiters who want to create and send humanized content that engages recipients with content they want to read via their preferred channels.
      Here are some of the reasons why more recruitment agencies and their marketing teams should be turning to automation if they want to interact with candidates on a more granular level and improve their overall conversion rate…
      1. Every piece of digital comms can be hyper-personalized
      With savvy technology at their fingertips, marketers can analyze millions of pieces of critical data that tell them all about a candidate’s of-the-moment job interests and needs. From this insight, they can then begin to build up a more complete picture about their recipient and know the type of ultra-personalized content they will interact with.
      When an enigmatic and energetic recruitment agency is keen to engage with a jobseeker about a relevant role, the last thing they want to do is be seen as another cold caller who sends the same tired – and often irrelevant – message to hundreds of other candidates that are ultimately received loosely by all. Not only is that a waste of time but can damage brand reputation immeasurably because those candidates will soon go to a competitor who understands their specific career requirements.
      2. Have a problem with email deliverability? Not any more…
      The latest news bulletin full of job roles has gone out but it’s received little to no engagement or had a vastly low engagement rate. If a marketing team experiences these problems, there could be an issue with deliverability.
      Utilizing automation, marketers can begin to draw out the data that links to why engagement is low – for example, it could be that bot traffic is to blame or the bounce rate is high because the recruitment agency’s CRM isn’t automatically updating ‘dead’ email addresses when people leave their jobs and move on. Being equipped with this information, and acting on it, should help recruiter brands to stop these recurring issues at the earliest opportunity and ensure they’re sending emails to the right candidates.
      3. Jobseekers feel they’re being supported throughout
      A cold email sent without thought is likely to either be deleted straight away or ignored altogether by the recipient because a recruiter isn’t taking the time to get to know them – and it shows.
      It’s important to help candidates throughout their next career move – and marketing teams can assist that nurturing process from start to finish. Not only will it build trust, but it’s an additional level of support that will endorse positive word-of-mouth and build brand loyalty.
      A great way to foster a relationship with a jobhunter is via a five-step marketing automation email sequence, which is:

      The ‘introduction’: explaining who the recruiter is and why they’re getting in touch
      Next is ‘gain’: underlining what the candidate will achieve by taking up the recruiter’s services
      Then there’s the ‘fear’ of missing out: designed to detail what would happen if the recipient did not act on the advice of this particular recruiter
      The fourth stage is ‘social proof’: evidencing other candidates’ experiences through testimonials and case studies
      And finally, ‘urgency’: requesting readers to act now before the opportunity goes to someone else.

      By following this framework, recruiters and their marketing departments should begin to build up a bank of highly nurtured candidates who are receiving relevant roles for them.
      It’s important to stress that automation shouldn’t do all of the work when it comes to the relationship between a recruitment brand and a job seeker. There have to be lots of human interaction throughout – after all it takes six touchpoints before someone is truly engaged. However, this technology should enable a deeper understanding of what every candidate is interested in at that specific moment in time while saving marketers several hours each week because they’re creating emails in seconds to strengthen their overall digital comms delivery. 
      By Adam Oldfield, CEO of marketing automation platform Force24.
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      Overcoming Burnout as a Recruiter

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      Burnout is no joke. It’s an extreme state of exhaustion that can manifest as demotivation, anxiety/stress or feeling overwhelmed. Unsurprisingly, the rates of burnout have risen exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic. In fact, web searches for the phrase ‘signs of burnout’ were up 150% in 2020 from previous years, as many workers felt extra pressure to perform to help their companies navigate through the pandemic.
      Like in many industries, working in recruitment has had its challenges over the past 14 months. At the beginning of the pandemic, many recruiters found it difficult to get in touch with clients as they swapped their offices for home working and put many roles on hold overnight. Alongside this, candidates felt either disheartened while job hunting or stuck in their current roles as they didn’t want to risk moving to a new role due to the economic downturn.
      Now, as the market across many sectors rebounds and new roles are being called into agencies, it may be a difficult (and tiring) transition for many consultants as they try to keep up with demand. If you find yourself in this position, you’re not alone! Below, we’ve outlined four key actions you can take to protect your mental energy and prevent burnout over the coming months.
      Recognize your personal cues
      While chatting to Lead Consultant for Tiger HR, Aseel Ibrahim, on our Tiger HR Tales podcast, Tracey Carlton from BLME said it perfectly: “it’s so important to be kind to ourselves, and allow ourselves to just have those moments”. Part of this is educating yourself on your personal cues that indicate something isn’t right. Maybe you’re not sleeping very well, or you’re skipping the daily walk you usually look forward to. We recommend letting those around you know what they should look out for if you believe you’re in danger of becoming burnt out, as they may be able to pick up on these things before you do.
      Stand up and say “I’m not OK”
      Remember: you can only manage so much. We’re all still dealing with the effects of the pandemic, and so it’s normal to feel unmotivated or overwhelmed at times. If, however, you think you’re at the point of burning out, you need to speak to your manager. By reaching out and asking them to re-prioritize your workload, you can get your to-do list back under control. In these situations, taking a step back and assessing where you need help is essential.
      Draw a line around your boundaries
      As teams continue to work remotely or partially remotely, over-communication is key. This is also the case when it comes to your boundaries. At the very least, you should let your team know when you’re finishing up for the day and when you’re taking your lunch break. If you need to take a few hours out to finish paperwork or work with minimal distractions, block that time out in your diary and protect it like you would a meeting with a client. These healthy behaviors will demonstrate to your team the importance of separating work from home time, which in turn should help prevent overworking.
      Build a support network
      Whether it’s your desk buddy or your best friend, having at least one person you can offload your thoughts and feelings to is so important when dealing with difficult situations. Organizing regular catch-ups with your support network is essential to check in with how you’re feeling. It could be something as simple as a five-minute chat at the end of the week, or a monthly get-together over drinks. Whoever you choose, you need to give that person the permission they need to step in if they see you displaying negative behaviors. This way, they can act as a sounding board for potential strategies for coping and can get you through even the most severe bouts of burnout.
      As recruiters, we often experience times of extreme pressure. We may have to work long hours or become stressed when preparing shortlists for several different clients at once. However, when it comes to feeling burnt out, you need to act quickly in order to prevent yourself from becoming sick or unable to function. By taking steps to prevent the cause, you should be able to overcome burnout and promote healthier ways to manage your mental health and wellbeing.
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      Five Reasons Why Candidate Care is So Important

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      As recruiters, looking after our candidates is a vital part of our everyday role. After all, if our candidates aren’t happy, we haven’t done our job! It’s imperative to maintain close relationships with them and inform them of any updates in their job search. You should also aim to accommodate their individual aspirations and personalities […] More