Campus recruiting is hard. Whether you’re an individual recruiter on a large team, or a one-person department doing everything from sourcing to managing an entire internship program, every day brings new challenges. Add in a global pandemic and a sudden shift to virtual recruiting, and it’s clear that the talent professionals who’ve weathered the storm are nothing short of rockstars.
That’s why we’ve designated the week from September 20-24th as Campus Recruiter Appreciation Week—because these hard working talent acquisition professionals deserve our recognition and support!
As part of Campus Recruiter Appreciation Week, we held a virtual get together with campus recruiters to celebrate them. We also wanted to learn what they do as campus teams to stay motivated and celebrate success, especially during the high-stress fall recruiting season.
Here are some of the top tips!
Here’s How Campus Recruiting Teams Stay Motivated
Staying focused and motivated during the recruiting season can be a challenge. Setting time aside to relax and recharge is one of the best ways to stay productive when things get busy.
Half-Day Fridays
One of the top tips shared by recruiters was to take time off to spend with family and friends or to do something fun. Some managers gave their teams a half day on Fridays to relax and decompress. That allows them to more easily start the week refreshed and ready to work on Monday.
Even if they didn’t have the flexibility to offer half-day Fridays, many campus recruiters cited the importance of taking mental health days. They also are intentional about taking vacation—as long as they didn’t plan long trips during the busy season.
Meeting-Free Days
Another way teams stay motivated is by setting time aside for focused work. Campus recruiters spend a lot of time on calls and in meetings. By scheduling a day every month or a few hours every week to respond to emails and catch up on work without distractions, campus teams can be more productive overall. This is especially important in the lead up to a busy recruiting season, when it’s critical to be organized and avoid getting bogged down by daily tasks.
Virtual Team Bonding
Of course, another way to keep teams engaged and productive is to have fun together! Many campus teams planned Zoom happy hours or played virtual games together to relax and bond outside of their day-to-day work. Intentionally scheduling time as a team for a fun activity is important to keeping things balanced, and also a great way to help new team members connect with their coworkers.
Set Aside Time to Talk
Finally, several recruiters cited scheduling meetings with their coworkers just to chat as an important way to stay positive during the busy season. When everyone worked together in-person, it was easier to have side conversations about what was going on outside of work. Now, they intentionally schedule meetings to talk about whatever’s on their minds—whether that’s a work problem or something going on at home—so they can build relationships and ensure that any challenges are met head on. By connecting on a personal level, the teams can grow comfortable with each other and ultimately work better together.
Celebrating Achievements Is Important For Successful Teams
A big part of managing a successful team is celebrating success. Like we said, campus recruiting is hard! So it’s critical that big (or small!) wins are recognized and celebrated together. Here are a few ways campus recruitment teams celebrate success.
Send Rewards
Some teams use small physical rewards to congratulate recruiters on their successes. Many companies offer formal recognition programs that allow employees to earn points and redeem them for rewards, such as gift cards. On top of those official programs, several campus recruitment managers mentioned sending their team small gift cards or plants to celebrate wins, mark holidays, or just to brighten their days during a tough recruiting season.
Public Recognition
While gifts and prizes are nice, sometimes just getting recognized for your success can be even better. Almost every campus recruiter mentioned that their team calls out accomplishments in weekly meetings or via email or Slack. Some teams formally share success stories in team newsletters or in company all-hands meetings. Giving team members shout outs is a great way to show your appreciation, and should be encouraged.
Share Accomplishments with Management
Peer recognition is important, but it’s also important that management is aware of your team’s successes. One campus recruitment manager shared that when she gets a note from a candidate raving about a recruiter, she makes sure to forward it to senior management to acknowledge that recruiter’s contributions. Other managers mentioned regularly updating executives on their teams’ accomplishments, ensuring that individual contributors could be recognized by management, and ultimately helping them advance in their careers.
Formal awards
Of course, many teams also offer formal awards to recognize outstanding achievements by their recruiters. Year-end awards celebrating success and growth are a great way to keep teams motivated and to celebrate accomplishments after a challenging season.
Small Acts Go a Long Way
One thing that was clear in our discussion was that it doesn’t take a lot to recognize success or help teams stay motivated. Small gestures, like publicly thanking a team member during a team meeting, go a long way. What’s important is that you show genuine appreciation. By being intentional about work-life balance and making sure to celebrate success, teams can make it through the busy recruiting season with both a positive mindset and positive outcomes.