BLOGS
Mental Health Awareness for Recruiters and Job Seekers
There are always aspects of life that can cause mental health issues and challenges – in terms of stress; whether in the workplace, at home, or elsewhere. The best thing we can do is educate ourselves, build healthy coping mechanisms, and develop preventative strategies.
The recruitment process can be a stressful space, not only for recruiters but also for job seekers. The following article will provide insight and helpful tips that can mitigate the negative effects recruitment may have on our mental health.
Mental Health and Recruiters:
Recruitment can be a rush. From sorting through hundreds of CV’s, juggling multiple candidates in progress, and making cold calls, it becomes easy to forget that for all this to happen the recruiter needs to be functioning at their best.
There are so many things that can cause stress and anxiety for recruiters, one being ‘the wait’. I am referring to the periods of time we spend waiting for a candidate to sign an offer or waiting for feedback after an interview. It is best not to overthink in these situations, rather just stay occupied with something that will distract you or even just grab a quick cup of tea or coffee to revitalize and clear your mind.
Try to be positive in these situations, trust in your recruiting skills your ability to find the right candidates.
Rejection is another factor that can have a huge impact on a recruiter, and in the recruiting world rejection can happen more often than we’d like (calls to potential clients, offer letters, shortlisted candidates being declined).
There are various ways to deal with rejection, and there are other helpful articles that go in-depth on the topic.
A tip to keep your mind clear after a rejection would be to become familiar with it, think about all the ways to overcome the next one and be positive.
There are many situations that can have a negative impact on a recruiter’s mental health, and the best method of mitigation… communication. Talk about it, have a conversation with your coworkers about challenges you are facing because they are the ones that know what you are going through.
Exchange ideas, share advice, offer words of encouragement. Communicate with others close to you, it is cognitively beneficial to put your thoughts into words.
This will help you organise and rationalise your emotions. Sometimes all you need is a good vent!
An extremely important aspect of maintaining high levels of mental well-being is focusing on the good. We must celebrate small victories, it builds confidence, maintains motivation, and prevents burnout. Acknowledging our progress (no matter how small) can create long lasting changes in behavioral patterns and keep us moving forward toward the greater outcome.
The small amounts of dopamine released when a goal is achieved reinforces the positive behavior mentioned above and boosts self-efficacy. As recruiters, we should set goals that may seem lofty but still achievable, it is important to meet targets and KPI’s but just as important to set more personalised goals for yourself.
General Tips:
Mental Health and Job Seekers:
Job hunting is never an easy task, it can sometimes feel overwhelming and take up too much of your time and energy. There are various challenges that job seekers face that negatively impact their mental health, but on the bright side, there are always solutions.
Job seekers sometimes suffer from an ‘imposter syndrome’ feeling. This is when you feel as if you are not good enough for a certain role or you feel unworthy of a promotion. These feelings can take a toll on a person’s self-esteem and cause motivation to slip away. It is important to remind yourself of your strengths, experiences, and what makes you a valuable candidate.
South Africa in particular has an extremely high unemployment rate, sitting at 32.9%.
Unemployment is usually a very negative experience for South Africans, with high correlation to stress, anxiety, and depression. We must try to reduce the stigma that comes with being unemployed and understand the difficulties that job hunting presents.
Job seekers must be strategic. When a pay cheque is not coming in, it can be tempting to apply for anything and everything. This approach drains your energy and leaves you feeling burnt out.
When looking for work, it is best to identify where your experiences and goals lie, you can then align your search with something more specific which will lead to a more focused approach.
One of the best things an active job seeker can do is ask for help.
There are many resources available that will assist you in your journey to finding employment. One of the best methods would be to contact a recruitment agency! Another resource is people you know, or people you just met. Let people know what you are looking for and you may find that they are willing and able to help.
Achieving and maintaining a quality state of mental health is a struggle we go through our whole lives, it is not something that comes naturally. We must pour effort into this aspect of our lives and then reap the rewards.
It is important that as recruiters, job seekers, and human beings, that we support each other and ensure we make the most of our endeavors in the workplace.
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship” – Louisa May Alcott
