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Burnout is a common word used to refer to emotional stress. Sustained pressure causes burnout and is not just characterized by physical depletion but also emotional and mental exhaustion. 

If you’re overloaded and emotionally worn, you’ll be unable to keep up with the continuous demands. 

Recruiters currently face a super competitive hiring environment. Everyone is striving to get the best candidates, but the process may be more tedious than anticipated. Hence, recruiting isn’t for everyone. This is because it is a dynamic profession that’s also impactful, as recruiters can change people’s lives and advance the organization based on their decisions. 

Recruiter burnout is used to define the state of exhaustion that affects talent acquisition professionals. 

There are various work-related challenges that can impact recruiters, all pointing back to the feeling that success is unattainable with what (and how) they are doing. Furthermore, recruiter burnout is sometimes also brought about by the repetitive nature of the recruiting process. The mere fact that they have to deal with people is another cause on its own.

Key causes of recruiter burnout

As previously mentioned, the repetitive nature of the job is one of the main reasons recruiters face burnout at work. However, there are a few other, often overlooked, key causes of recruiter burnout. 

They include:

Lack of adequate resources

Recruitment is a tedious process, and recruiters will always need all the help they can get to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Without the right resources in place, the talent acquisition manager will be headed for burnout. 

It is a no-brainer that recruiters receive very many applications and referrals. Without adequate resources to respond to, filter, and reach out to each of them, the gap between what they want and what they can do widens, creating a feeling of dissatisfaction.

Analysis paralysis

There are numerous data points that require extensive evaluation during the hiring process. Getting the data points from different sources can be quite tiring, especially when you wish to make an analysis. Furthermore, the dependency on various metrics may lead to confusion or wrong conclusions, ultimately leading to mental burnout.

Symptoms of recruiter burnout

Some of the main observable recruiter symptoms are: 

• Exhaustion

Do you feel tired almost every time you go to work? That’s a clear sign of burnout at work. If you’re frequently feeling physically, emotionally, or mentally tired after work, high chances are that it is due to burnout. 

• Pessimism

Do you feel like your work is unsatisfactory? Do you often have a negative attitude towards work? Does it bring forth some conflict between your work-life balance? A negative outlook towards your career prospects may indicate burnout.

• Reduced productivity

If you’re taking too long to accomplish a task that was initially a piece of cake to you or having challenges remaining focused at work, then you’re facing a career burnout.

Symptoms of recruiter burnout

Some of the main observable recruiter symptoms are: 

• Exhaustion

Do you feel tired almost every time you go to work? That’s a clear sign of burnout at work. If you’re frequently feeling physically, emotionally, or mentally tired after work, high chances are that it is due to burnout.

• Pessimism

Do you feel like your work is unsatisfactory? Do you often have a negative attitude towards work? Does it bring forth some conflict between your work-life balance? A negative outlook towards your career prospects may indicate burnout.

• Reduced productivity

If you’re taking too long to accomplish a task that was initially a piece of cake to you or having challenges remaining focused at work, then you’re facing a career burnout.

Tips for overcoming recruiter burnout

Burnout is real. The best way to prevent work-related burnout is to find out the exact triggers. You can easily live to enjoy your job better if you can spot the causes of the burnout early on.

So, what exactly do you need to do to avoid recruiter burnout? Here are a few quick tips: 

• Leverage technology 

45% of recruiters believe that AI and automation can boost their job roles. It will come as a huge relief for recruiters to have the weight of manual work lifted, and their roles become more centred on intelligent decision-making. 

Some of the key tools and resources to invest in include Applicant Tracking Systems, Interviewing tools, Testing & Assessment tools, recruitment CRM, etc. 

• Organize your time

Numerous emails, meetings, reports, screenings, and much more are all part of a recruiter’s day. Without adequate time management skills, you may not get anything done satisfactorily; hence, you may end up becoming a ‘busy body’ which in turn brings out burnout.

You need to prioritize duties and stick to a daily work schedule to avoid overlooking certain tasks.

• Take time off

It might sound challenging to do so, especially when your job is your source of happiness, but taking some time off work can be the best medicine for your work-related burnout. 

You may want to be at work at all times, but hard work alone won’t advance your career. You need to give your body and mind time to rejuvenate as you regroup and rethink your working strategies. 

• Maintaining work-life balance

It is important to set boundaries for everything. This includes having a designated part of the day dedicated to working and another part to your family, relaxation, and cultivation of your hobby. 

The Bottom Line 

At mindsoftindia, we have many years of experience handling recruitment for various types of employers. We have also worked with numerous recruiters to understand precisely how to assist them in avoiding recruiter burnout. 

A career in talent acquisition isn’t easy, nor should it be a source of burnout. We hope the tips presented in our guide will help you manoeuvre recruiter burnout.