As an experienced recruiter I know all about the stress and pressure of the job. It’s a job selling a service and one with people that change their mind on both the buy and sell side. This means that situations and priorities change all day every day. What was true yesterday isn’t the case today. You need to be mentally tough to stay calm and in control.
I will be surveying Australian recruiters in 2019 on the main stressors involved in their role but anecdotally the following appear to be the top 3 reasons recruiters experience negative stress and pressure.
1) Rejection
It’s a sales job and as with any sales role there comes rejection as clients and candidates change their mind as to whether they want to use your services exclusively or indeed at all. Recruiters are rejected constantly and unless you have a high degree of resilience, persistence and confidence in your own ability, then you will quickly become disheartened and less effective.
2) Changing situations and priorities
In recruitment everything changes all of the time. The only expectation is that today will be different to yesterday, quite possibly materially. As a recruiter you are faced with your priorities being different to those of your clients and candidates. Although the assignment you are working on is the most important thing in your world today and quite probably should also be for your client and candidate it often isn’t. Or, at least, it isn’t today.
This changing landscape is difficult mentally because you are battling for control over many situations that are outside your control. To avoid immeasurable stress your mindset needs to be one of accepting “I can only control what I can control”. This means that you do everything you can do on every assignment everyday to move it forward and then mentally let go until tomorrow.
3) Too many distractions
One of the challenges of trying to control what you can control and complete your daily ‘to do’ list is the massive range of potential distractions, diversions and resistance from many different sources.
Clients and candidates can contact you in many ways and many times. When I started in recruitment in ’82 (1982 not 1882!) the available ways to communicate included a fixed phone, a letter, a ‘walk in’ (unannounced candidate) and soon afterwards a fax machine. Situations changed slowly and you could be in control of your day and your desk. In the modern era you need extreme focus to make things happen and this takes immense mental strength.
Mental Toughness is a trait that almost all successful recruitment consultants have and is a trait you can develop. Comprising resilience and confidence it materially improves your positivity, performance and your sense of wellbeing.
To find out more about my Mental Toughness for Recruiters program contact me