A lot is expected of recruiters lately. We are NOT administrative assistants or schedulers; we are talent hunters. We are experts in talent sourcing, talent identification, human psychology, people management, compensation, immigration, data and metrics, job description creation, negotiations, stakeholder relationship management, in addition to being experts in our particular fields. 

We are expected to manage all of this while remaining highly productive. Most recruiters don't have the success they should, and these are the reason why. 

New research from data-company Intelligence Group and Werf shows that 36% of a recruiter's productive week is spent on managing administrative tasks, which comes to 14 hours a week. Imagine spending that extra time on candidate development! 

Here are two BIG ways to increase productivity for your recruiting team. 

 Eliminating needless ATS administrative work

One of the biggest time-consuming tasks is the small administrative tasks in your applicant tracking system and managing job files. The ATS administrator should manage small administrative tasks such as workplace types, project names, referral bonuses, or other items. Additional items that should be reassigned are job marketing, diversity ads, and refreshing job posts.

 Scheduling

Finding the right talent for your hiring manager is a huge task, and keeping track of who needs to be scheduled, who is scheduled, who accepts, as well as any outstanding scheduling requests is a full-time job! For smaller teams, tools like Calendly help manage recruiter scheduling effectively and efficiently. In a large team, it is highly recommended that a "recruiting assistant" be assigned to manage not only scheduling but also job file maintenance and candidate dispositions. 

When we think about creating a lean recruitment process, we must look at how recruiters do their jobs and how the recruiting process has been equipped to provide value for both the organization, the candidate and the hiring manager. Choosing this approach will eliminate administrative waste and a time-consuming process for candidates and hiring managers. As someone who has implemented this system, I can tell you that the results are:

    A better quality of hire.

    Lower time-to-fill.

    Better candidate experience.

    Efficient fulfillment ratios.

    Lower costs.  

The best way to approach this lean methodology is to really list out the responsibilities of your recruiter's work week and work month. Really focus on each and every task and ask these very simple questions:

    Is this a core recruiting task?

    Does this task contribute to acquiring the right talent for your organization? 

    If you can't answer with a very loud and clear 'YES', then this means it's time to rethink          your recruiter's workload. 

These are a few of the suggestions I have for creating a more productive, efficient, and effective recruiting staff. My best advice is to keep your eyes open and don't just go through the motions every day. Think about a way to create value in your group, and don't be afraid to speak up about tired and ineffective processes.