When I’m working with a candidate who is open to exploring their own mindset and beliefs around their job, it really can be a game changer. More often than not, when these candidates approach me they are behind target and fearful of losing their job. What I must help them understand is that they need to acknowledge the part they’ve played in creating their current situation. After all, as a recruiter I have a duty of care to our clients. I must ensure our clients are getting access to the best talent – who are not only capable, but also eager to do the job.

Mindset is a massive area, one that I am by no means qualified to advise about. But what I can do is give you some of the top reasons recruiters tell me they hate their jobs… and offer some mindset hacks.

This first hack I have used myself and trust me it works. Most of you are probably surprised at this, as I’m outwardly seen as a “hunter”. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m all about relationships and adding value. But I also recognised a long time ago that in order to launch a successful global business I had to sell.

I’m not a salesperson and anyway I hate sales

This is a sales job, let’s get that clear. Even if you are not in a business development role, you need to be able to sell the client’s role to your candidates. You are solving your candidate’s problems by helping them secure another role that is more aligned to both their personal and career aspirations. You are involved in negotiating the best offer for your candidate. Does this not sound like sales to you? 

Mindset hack: Start to look at the value you have added for your candidate

We’ve all had those candidates that we just want to help. Maybe they’d been unemployed for a while and the financial strain had begun to take a toll on their family life. When you start to doubt your sales ability, remind yourself how you successfully advocated and negotiated on behalf of that candidate. The impact you have had on their life. As you are reading this you are probably smiling and remembering the reaction your candidate had to being offered a new job. Take that feeling and channel that into all your calls. 

I don’t want KPIs I hate them

Recruiters that are not hitting their KPIs hate KPIs. Successful recruiters might not love KPIs but they understand the value they add. More importantly, they understand how to use them to hit their goals. Ultimately your employer has decided what KPIs they wish to measure, and yes you could ask for them to be reduced but that is not the point here.

Mindset hack: Choose to be honest with yourself

You can lie to others – but you can’t lie to yourself – about why you fail to hit your KPIs. Something I see repeatedly is that recruiters are calling the same group of people every day, just to look as if they are making outbound connections. In other words, busy being busy. If this resonates stop it right now. (By the way, this is usually due to lack of preparation on your part.) Go into work tomorrow and don’t change a thing. Just write down exactly what you have done. Then look at the number of candidates or clients you’ve engaged with. See where I am going with this? You will be shocked at how little time you actually spent having meaningful client or candidate conversations. Is it any wonder why you hate being measured? 

AI is taking over and no one wants to pay agency fees

If you are a transactional recruiter, then yes you are probably right. But those of us who believe in adding value to the process are in high demand. I’m not denying that employers are able to post a job on dozens of different job boards and social media platforms. But the last time I checked A.I. still can’t engage effectively in the art of conversation, nor building meaningful relationships. In other words, the human aspect of our role. 

Mindset hack: Choose to embrace A.I. and understand there is room for both of you in the process.

Let’s be honest, you are already using some form of A.I. in the recruitment cycle. The candidate searches you do everyday on LinkedIn, they’re powered by A.I.; but that’s also where technology has its limitations. Yes the algorithm is getting a lot better, but it can’t call the candidate for you and ask specific questions related to the role. This is where you can start to add value to your candidates and clients. 

I’m not getting any type of training 

Most of us expect our employers to pay for all our training and development. After all your employer will benefit from all your learning as you will be hitting your KPIs. Right? Well, yes and no. It’s true both parties will benefit from the learning, but you will take that learning with you to your next employer.  Whereas your current employer only benefits whilst you stay employed by them. Let me be clear, every employer should be providing free training and development to their employees. However, there are those that don’t wish to make that investment. So what can you do?

Mindset hack: I’m making an investment in myself

We are all happy to go out on a Friday night and spend $200 on dinner and drinks, yet we refuse to spend anything on our own personal development. By making that investment in yourself you can start to reap the reward almost immediately, especially if you are recruiting within technology. Google and YouTube really can be your best friends and cost you nothing but time. Simply do a keyword search and you’ll be surprised at how much information you can find. People literally spend their time and money creating videos talking about the latest technology.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, as with everything in life, you must take charge of your career. Try implementing some of these hacks and notice how your perspective changes over time. Having said that, you may still feel you’d like to talk through some of the above. If that’s the case feel free to reach out to a member of my team. As always, all conversations are confidential.