Real-World Recruiting: Overcoming Recruiter Fatigue

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Recruiting has always been a necessary evil for every business. Some love it, some hate it, but no matter which side you fall on, the need to recruit is constant. Recently I had an “ah-ha” moment about recruiting, and it has put a challenge in front of me that I am determined to solve.

Over the years, I have always been most excited about retention initiatives, wholeheartedly believing it is easier to keep people than to find people. There was a point several years ago when you would have heard me say, “I hate recruiting.” Yes, I realize that is an extreme sentiment! I believe that I felt that way because I always viewed recruiting through an administrative lens.

The Recruiter Challenge

For me, recruiting had become a broken record on repeat – post ads, receive resumes/applications, schedule interviews, draft offer letters, and onboard those hired. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to help two clients find their next CFO. During that experience, I discovered how rewarding it could be to pair up the right person with the right company. That perfect combination can be magical for both the employer and the employee. One position and one person can have an impact on the entire organization. Imagine how consistently placing the right people in the right roles could contribute to your overall success.

In 2015, SN tapped on my shoulder through LinkedIn. That experience shaped how I would reach out to people about job opportunities with my clients in the years to come. Many of us, myself included, have experienced great success in having people respond to our outreach. It could be a result of your company’s brand reputation, your personal position in the market, or the creative wording used to start a conversation. But today, that same type of success can be elusive. As I shared some recent struggles with filling a particular position, my colleague Michelle Dent coined it perfectly – Recruiter Fatigue.

Ah-ha! Yes, recruiter fatigue is real and impacts the talent pool we have come to rely on. With so many companies searching for talent, recruiters have adopted more aggressive outreach strategies to get in touch with potential hires. As a result, the recipients of those outreach efforts are exhausted from the sheer volume of inquiries they receive. It’s to the point where many potential hires have no desire to read, much less respond.

A Demanding Market

Traditional talent searching methods continue to grow stale, so it’s time to look at recruiting from a different direction. Every day I talk to executives who express their frustration with finding talent and some of the extreme measures needed to get the attention of the people they want to hire. Tactics include unusually high base salary, sign-on bonuses, additional PTO, etc. I also hear from many companies that recent college graduates are asking for starting base salaries beyond what employers would consider normal for entry-level positions.

As long as we continue to have a strong economy, we will see a discrepancy between the number of job openings and the people willing to fill the positions. Adding to an already challenging situation, we are still facing the continuation of baby boomer retirement, which leaves a void many are struggling to fill.

Next Steps

To overcome recruiter fatigue and successfully fill positions with not only people but the right people, companies will need to reimagine their strategic approach to finding talent. Join us for our webinar, where we will provide suggestions on how to elevate your recruiting strategies so you can rise above the hiring competition.


Kristi Weierbach