New Year’s Resolutions for Recruiters
With the festive season done and dusted, many are looking forward to the opportunity to turn a new page and make changes within their personal lives. Many people set themselves New Year's Resolutions with the intention being to better themselves. Could a set of New Year's Resolutions be exactly the thing you need to better yourself within your work life too? Here are our suggestions for five resolutions recruiters should look to make as they approach the New Year.
Networking
Networking is undoubtably the key to success within the recruitment industry. Aim to improve upon the existing relationships you have and build new connections within the coming year. Look into any events you would like to attend during the year in order to do this, both within the sectors you recruit for, and general recruitment meet-ups. Meaningful relationships will help you to stand out, build credibility within your industry and attract more talented candidates.
Branding
As social networking grows, it is becoming increasingly important for those within recruitment to think like marketers. Social media channels are now at the very heart of recruitment, and by increasing your knowledge of such platforms, improving your marketing game and curating a recognisable brand, you will undoubtedly improve recruitment rates and be seen as experts within your field.
Communication
It is unfortunate that over the years, recruiters have gained a reputation for 'ghosting' applicants. All too often, you hear people say, 'I applied for a job there but never heard anything back'. This can give a negative view of a company and be detrimental to the employer brand you are aiming to create, especially if those ghosted applicants feel inclined to post about their experience online. You should aim to improve upon this within your own practice within the next year. Try to ensure that all candidates get a reply, even if they don't make it past the CV screening stage, and create touch points for communication through the hiring process so that candidates don't feel forgotten. Where possible, it would be beneficial to give feedback to unsuccessful applicants. This will ultimately help improve your recruitment rates, and any candidates that are unsuccessful won't feel shunned but will come away with a more positive experience and be more likely to apply for other positions with you in the future.
Learning
There is a famous saying that 'you can't teach old dogs new tricks'. However, we believe that whether you are new to recruitment or have been on the scene for years, you can always benefit from sharpening your tools. Recruitment is an ever-growing and evolving industry, and it can be easy to become complacent and get left behind. Therefore, look into what training and development you may like to do in the coming year to help you stay at the top of your game.
Balance
Like in any industry, you can reach a point in your career where you feel like things never stop - maybe that was true for you in 2022. Within recruitment especially, it can be very difficult to achieve a work-life balance; often, candidates are working full-time jobs and so can only be communicated with to discuss their application outside of office hours. Modern-day technology has created a world in which we are always connected, making it more important than ever to disconnect for periods when possible to prevent burnout. This year, make sure you take time to prioritise your life outside of work. A better work-life balance will help you feel motivated and productive within work, leading to a more successful year.
We wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to what 2023 has to bring!