The Coveted Virtual Recruiting Position – Being “Consistently Consistent”
I have been working as a remote Recruiter for the past 11 years. Since I started Recruiting Recruiters, I have noticed that most Recruiters want to be remote. The problem is that remote positions are hard to come by and most Recruiters fail at being remote. All Recruiters want the freedom of being remote, but being successful as a remote Recruiter has to be earned. To me, the way to do this is to be what I call “Consistently Consistent”. This phrase came after I was asked by my employer out of the blue to talk to my peers about how I have been successful as a remote Recruiter. Consistently Consistent (receiving chuckles) just came out as I started to talk. To this day, this phrase is my cornerstone of how I have been a successful remote Recruiter.
What is Consistently Consistent?
1. PLAN your day and concentrate on the most important tasks.
- a. As a Recruiter, we can be pulled in 10 different directions at once. When you start to feel that you are losing your focus, consult your “To Do” list for the day to put you back on track.
2. When at home HAVE AN OFFICE or place to work.
- a. A place to work is important because it separates work tasks from daily living tasks. This will allow you to feel that when you leave your office you have more of a work to life balance.
3. Do your best to SEPARATE home chores from your work day tasks.
- a. Although we can do small tasks during the work day during breaks, it’s important not to get tied up in things that distract us from completing our “To Do” list. Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you have to do the dishes or laundry, both can wait.
4. Make sure you are MOBILE so you are ALWAYS ON during the work day.
- a. With today’s technology, there is no reason why you can’t do just about every task from your phone. If you do take a break or run an errand, make sure you are available and you can confirm an interview or respond to an e-mail in a timely manner. This also ensures for great communication which is a whole blog post for another time.
5. CHANGE it up.
- a. Being remote allows you to work from anywhere. When your attention starts to fade or you’re having trouble concentrating, CHANGE up your OFFICE. Since you are MOBILE and you have PLANNED out your day, you can work from anywhere. So go grab lunch, do a quick workout, have that cup of coffee or go work outside.
Being Consistently Consistent allows you to be a successful recruiter which in turn allows you to have freedoms that non-remote recruiters don’t have. Treat being remote as a privilege you have to earn every day by being Consistently Consistent.
John Motley is the Director of Professional Services of NSS RPO, a consulting firm that provides on-site and virtual recruiting professionals. Contact NSS RPO to learn about how we can help your organization meet and exceed it’s hiring goals.