In 2023, 23 percent of recruiters and talent acquisition (TA) professionals experienced high levels of burnout and concerns over their mental health. Why? It’s common for recruiters to feel overwhelmed when tasked with reviewing and screening numerous applicants for a single job opening. This challenge is particularly pronounced given that corporate job postings typically attract an average of 250 applications. While 65 percent of hiring managers have seen cuts to their recruiting teams, 54 percent of potential job seekers are frustrated because they feel it takes too long to hear back about the next steps in the evaluation process. With a high volume of applicants for each position and limited resources due to cuts in TA teams, it’s understandable why burnout and mental health concerns are prevalent.

Signs of burnout

Approximately 82 percent of employees face the threat of experiencing burnout in 2024. Signs of burnout in TA professionals may include:

• Decreased key performance indicators (KPIs). Longer time-to-fill rates, decreased number of placements, high applicant drop-off rates, and missed deadlines are signs of lower productivity and possibly burnout.

Related: Strategic Insights for Optimizing Talent Acquisition: Unlocking Success Through Metrics and More

• Increased irritability. Becoming easily frustrated or agitated, especially in response to work-related tasks or interactions.
• Emotional exhaustion. Feeling drained or depleted emotionally, with a lack of energy or enthusiasm for work responsibilities.
• Decreased motivation. Experiencing a loss of interest or passion for the job, leading to reduced productivity and engagement.
• Cynicism or detachment. Developing a negative or cynical attitude towards work, colleagues, candidates, or the recruitment process itself.
• Physical symptoms. Experiencing physical symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, or gastrointestinal issues that may be related to stress and burnout.
• Difficulty concentrating. Finding it challenging to focus or concentrate on tasks, leads to decreased effectiveness in job performance.
• Decreased satisfaction. Feeling dissatisfied or unfulfilled with work, despite previous levels of enjoyment or achievement.
• Withdrawal from social activities. Withdrawing from social interactions or work-related events, preferring isolation over engagement with others.
• Increased absenteeism. Taking more frequent sick days or absences from work, either due to physical illness or a desire to avoid work-related stressors.
• Poor work-life balance. Struggling to maintain a healthy balance between work responsibilities and personal life, leads to feelings of being overwhelmed and exhausted.

Burnout often manifests as a combination of these signs over time, rather than any single indicator in isolation.

Ways to prevent burnout and promote engagement

Recruiting and hiring have undergone significant transformations in recent years, and it’s improbable that they will remain static in the near future. Preventing burnout and promoting employee engagement is critical for maintaining a healthy and productive TA team. Here are some strategies that combine elements of both:

• Set realistic expectations. Establish achievable workload and deadline expectations for recruiters to prevent burnout. At the same time, ensure that the work they are doing is meaningful and contributes to the organization’s goals, promoting engagement.
• Provide adequate resources. Equip your team with the necessary tools, technology, and support to perform their jobs efficiently, reducing stress and enhancing engagement. Promote the advantages of integrating automation tools, applicant tracking systems (ATS), and artificial intelligence (AI) to greatly improve operational efficiency. AI presents numerous benefits for recruiters. It accelerates processes, generates job descriptions, conducts pre-screening video interviews, and evaluates candidates to identify optimal matches for positions. Additionally, recruitment chatbots are capable of providing real-time responses to candidates’ inquiries. These technologies excel at managing repetitive tasks, freeing up your team to concentrate on more strategic elements of the recruitment process.

Related: Optimizing Talent Acquisition: Strategies for Maximum Efficiency

• Encourage work-life balance. Achieving work-life balance for TA professionals has evolved beyond dividing time between the office and home. It now entails integrating professional duties with personal fulfillment, ensuring neither aspect consistently dominates. This equilibrium necessitates the flexibility to meet recruitment goals while still enjoying life’s joys and fulfilling personal obligations. It’s a dedication to both mental and physical wellness, where the demands of talent sourcing and recruiting are counterbalanced with measures to prevent burnout and uphold overall health. Promoting a culture that values work-life balance to prevent burnout and offering flexible work arrangements supports engagement by allowing employees to better manage their personal and professional lives.
• Offer career and skill development opportunities. Whentailored to address the strategic, interpersonal, and analytical demands of the role, continuous learning and skill enhancement prevent stagnation and burnout, ensuring sustained employee engagement. Adapt to emerging technologies and recruitment methods by providing ongoing education through online platforms, conferences, networking, and workshops. These opportunities foster career growth, purpose, and progression, mitigating burnout.
• Stay updated on industry trends. In an ever more competitive and uncertain business landscape and amidst a growing scarcity of skilled talent, the ability to anticipate and capitalize on emerging trends in TA emerges as a crucial advantage. Encourage continuous learning and staying updated on industry trends and best practices in TA. Sharing relevant insights and knowledge with the team prevents burnout by keeping employees engaged and informed about their field.
• Promote team support and collaboration. One-third of HR professionals indicate that inadequate team collaboration results in decreased employee morale. Foster a collaborative team environment where members can openly communicate, share resources, and support each other. Collaboration prevents burnout by distributing the workload, promoting engagement through teamwork, and offers many other benefits as detailed by BetterUp in this blog. Plan team-building activities and events to strengthen bonds, boost morale, and foster a sense of community among team members.
• Recognition and appreciation. Over 83 percent of employees believe that recognition impacts their motivation to excel in the workplace. Regularly acknowledge and appreciate your TA  team’s hard work and achievements. Recognition boosts morale, prevents burnout, and fosters engagement.
• Maintain open communication. Keep lines of communication open between team members and leadership to address concerns and prevent burnout. Transparent communication fosters engagement by making employees feel heard and valued.
• Create a positive work environment. Cultivate a positive and inclusive work culture where team members feel valued, respected, and supported. A positive work environment prevents burnout and promotes engagement by fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

Conclusion

In the dynamic landscape of talent acquisition—where recruiters face mounting pressures and challenges—preventing burnout and fostering engagement are paramount for sustaining productivity and well-being. Recognizing the signs of burnout is crucial. Addressing these issues requires proactive strategies to cultivate environments that support your TA team, ultimately nurturing engagement and preventing burnout in the long run.

Worklink Group offers tailored solutions to keep your talent acquisition team engaged and productive. Contact us today.