Your recruiting staff works day and night to find outstanding candidates that check all the boxes on your clients’ lists, but there’s a thin line between ambition and being completely overworked. If one of your recruiters is clearly maxed out, it’s time to step in and take action.

Employees who are obviously overburdened can’t function properly. Common signs of a worker who has far too much on their plate includes stress, irritability, and health issues. If these haven’t surfaced yet, they will soon if you don’t do something to help your recruiter at once.

Reduce Their Workload

Quite obviously, your recruiter can’t handle all the work in front of them, so you need to help make the situation more manageable. Sit down with the person and go over their workload to see what they’re currently facing. Put any items that aren’t urgent on the backburner for awhile, because there’s no need to stress about projects that don’t need to be completed right now. Delegate some of their current priorities out to other team members who aren’t quite as busy.

Mandate Regular Breaks

Feeling overburdened with work can quickly lead to burnout, so help your recruiter stay calm. Force them to step away from their desk a few times per day and go for a quick walk or get a cup of coffee. This may seem counterintuitive when trying to manage a heavy workload, but taking a break rejuvenates the mind and lowers stress levels, allowing the person to return to their desk feeling refreshed.

Set Limits on Work Hours

Being a recruiter isn’t necessarily a 9am to 5pm job, but that doesn’t make it acceptable for your employee to regularly put in massive amounts of overtime. Stop calling, texting, and emailing this person during off-hours, because they obviously feel the need to respond immediately. Sometimes it will be necessary for your recruiter to work nights, so create a plan together that allows for a strong work-life balance, despite sometimes holding erratic hours.

Ask How You Can Help

Taking matters into your own hands to help your overworked recruiter is a great start. Many recruiters don’t want to ask their manager for help, out of fear their level of commitment to the job will be questioned. Now that you’ve set the stage for open dialogue, check in and see what else you can do to be of assistance. For employees, knowing their boss cares enough to lend a helping hand means a lot.

ECS has more than 20 years of experience in the contingent staffing industry, helping companies optimize and simplify the process of providing and utilizing contract workers. Our team understands the amount of work that goes into creating an efficient and compliant professional environment, and we’re here to offer cost-effective solutions. Find out how we can assist your company by contacting us today!