The recruiter’s guide to staying motivated

Being a recruiter means holding qualities like resilience and drive. After all, in simple terms, their job is to help companies source and hire the most qualified candidates – a delicate process that engenders an abundance of wins, losses, and setbacks. 

We reached out to hundreds of recruiters across the business on how they stay motivated, and here are their responses: 

1. Keep a folder of all your “wins”

Create your own personal portfolio of success that you update throughout your career. Refer to it whenever you want an energy or confidence boost – you’ve accomplished more than you often remember.

Remember why you started in the first place, and know that your company hired you because they believe in you and still do. This folder is your proof that you are completely capable of success; you wouldn’t be where you are today if you weren’t. Keep the momentum going!

2. Remember what you won’t have if you don’t try

What is the goal you are moving towards? Closing a big business deal? Getting a promotion? Finding more interesting work? Imagining how gratified you’ll feel is in itself very motivating. But if you don’t take the necessary steps towards your goal, then what will you be left with? What will you be lacking? Explore this in depth and use it to inspire your progress. You don’t want to stay in the same place, or even worse, regress. The only cure for inaction is action.

3. Break down your big goals into small steps

Once you identify your long-term goal, the next step is to zoom in and write down the specific actions you must take to get there.  Having realistic goals that you can commit yourself to will make the bigger picture seem less daunting, and help you keep track of where you are in the process. Small wins add up to big ones!

4. Surround yourself with positive, encouraging people and content

Neuroplasticity proves that your mind is extremely malleable, reorganising itself by forming new neural pathways to adapt as needed. In other words, you can teach your old brain new tricks, and as you receive messages on a daily basis, your mind begins to own the same mode of thinking. 

So skip the fear-inducing news and negative people and subscribe to more uplifting channels. Curate a supportive network of friends and colleagues who are passionate and growth-oriented. Sign up for a daily email that sends you motivational material first thing in the morning. Work with people who are on the same mission as you. Your environment is a huge part of setting yourself up for success, so create one that inspires you. 

5. Empower yourself by making exercise a top priority

Mental fitness and physical fitness go hand in hand. Part of motivation is endurance, which you develop as your body experiences stamina breakthroughs at the gym, dancing, or whatever medium works for you.

If you work with people, than you have to deal with a great deal of emotions (that aren’t necessarily your own). Allowing yourself an outlet to release those will help you stay sane.  Plus, if you are under a lot of pressure, you’ll likely experience shallow breathing, which you can reset in intense physical activity.  Make time for this every day and you’ll have the fresh energy you need to be successful. 

RELATED ARTICLE: How to maintain a work life balance

6. Understand what is and is not in your control

All you can do is what is within your power to do. When faced with a problem or difficult situation, ask yourself: have I done everything I possibly can to make this work? What external factors have shaped this outcome and what is within my locus of control to make it better? In the professional world and the world-at-large, you should always be adding value in some form. You are uniquely talented, uniquely persuasive, and uniquely able to provide something important. If you are doing your true best, then the rest will unfold naturally.

For career advice, read our career hub articles here.