6 Secret Productivity Tips For Ambitious Recruiters
As a rec to rec company we live and breathe recruitment and never a day goes by when we are not in discussion with one consultant or another about how to get the next job or be more successful.
Now here is something that we notice is happening on a regular basis; recruiters are asking us for tips and ideas on how to be more productive. In today’s internet fuelled world there is always a task to complete, an update to make or a contact to ring. So how do we get it ‘all’ done?
1. Get it on paper
Is your head full of ‘stuff’ that you know you need to do? Ditto join the club. Any ambitious recruiter will have a list of activities they want to achieve. It can sometimes feel over whelming. In my experience the easiest way to get through it all it to get it out of your head and onto paper. Then you can look at all the tasks and projects in a more rational way. You will even be able to filter them into tasks and time deadlines which is really helpful because……
2. Accept you won’t get it all done
Surprised? Just accept it and give yourself some relief. With everything that we all have going on in our lives we will never, I repeat never get it all done. Accept that fact and you will be amazed at the relief it will bring. We live in a very different world to our ancestors. Technology has benefits and downsides too. Smart phones may be wonderful if you want to always be in touch and yet so often we are driven by the next ping of a text or bugle call of the latest email arriving. Stop and use technology as it should be used as an aid to manage and screen your activities.
3. Don’t multitask
This might be a hard one for us girls to accept! Being so used to multitasking in our roles of; career girl, girlfriend, stunning cook, confidant, mum, daughter and general fetcher and carrier.
The truth is when we focus on one task at a time we produce better results. If you have ten clients to call; do it. Lock yourself in a room if necessary. If your mobile phone pings ignore it- it can wait. Switch off your email. Better still, if you can, move away from your PC.
4. Get to know your own body clock and when you perform best
It is true some of us are better at different times of the day. If you know you are;” full of the joys of spring” first thing, do the important stuff then e.g. selling! Leave the admin tasks till later in the day. This is a part of the productivity equation that most people miss. Know your strengths and when and how, you produce your best results. Then plan you days around these activities that produce results. Write it down do the maths and you will have your own blueprint for success.
5. Take breaks
As humans we are governed by cycles. Here on planet earth we live in a world where rhythms and cycles keep us on track. Summer and winter, day and night. You will have heard about circadian rhythms and the impact that has on our behaviours? The latest data has identified that we can break this down into even smaller cycles of approximately ninety minutes. For peak performance mentally we need to take a break every 90 minutes to two hours. If we don’t our performance can deteriorate. Thinking that classic though; “I will just finish this!” apparently isn’t our best course of action if we want to perform at peak.
6. Drink water
This might seem a strange one and water is important to us. Over 60% of our bodies are made up of water. A startling fact is that more adults are dehydrated then most people think. So how does it help productivity? There are hundreds of studies which confirm that adequate fluid intake can prevent headaches and fatigue and enhance memory. That headache that suddenly creeps up on you mid-afternoon is probably down to dehydration.
Till next time,
Cheryl