---
title: 5 Productivity Hacks for Recruiters
description: To keep up with your talent, you not only need to be a great communicator and job matchmaker, but you need to be as efficient as possible.
---

[Blog | TextUs™ ](https://blog.textus.com)

# [5 Productivity Hacks for Recruiters](https://blog.textus.com/5-productivity-hacks-for-recruiters)

 Written by [TextUs Team](https://blog.textus.com/author/textus-team) | Jul 12, 2016 3:00:00 PM

##### To keep up with your talent, you not only need to be a great communicator and job matchmaker, but you need to be as efficient as possible. Here are 5 recruiter productivity hacks.

### Source smarter.

If you’re like most recruiters, sourcing smart candidates takes up a good deal of your time. Here’s how to tighten up your search process.

#### **Do your homework**

Before your begin your search, front-end thoughtful research. You can waste hours chasing your tail if you don’t have a firm idea of what you’re looking for.

- Read and analyze the job posting.
- Keep a detailed list of your client’s needs.
- Engage in smart, in-depth, focused industry research.

#### **Search smarter, not harder**

Once you have a strong understanding of what you are looking for, master the art of searching well.

- Don’t get hung up on the resume.
- Avoid getting lost in overly generic searches.
- Keep on top of the best sourcing tools to automate your search. Here are a few examples:

*Eager for more tech tools to up your game? Check out our blog on *[*how big data can make you a better recruiter*](https://blog.textus.com/how-big-data-can-boost-your-staffing-game)*.*

### Assess fit before the interview.

Don’t waste candidate and client time with a poor fit, especially one that could’ve been easily identified beforehand. Look closely at your candidates and listen to what they are looking for before you secure them an interview. This will save you a lot of time and improve your recruiting efficiency.

*Need more efficiency tips? Check out our blog on *[*how to speed up your recruiting cycle*](https://blog.textus.com/how-to-speed-up-your-recruiting-cycle)*.*

### Take advantage of templates.

Chances are, you find yourself writing a lot of similar emails and text messages to different candidates. Shave minutes off your correspondence each time by working from templates.

- Following up to an inquiry.
- Touching base about an interview.
- Putting out feelers about interest in a position.
- Thanking a candidate for their time.

Now, you don’t want to be generic or forget personalization! Templates provide a great starting point, but your power as a recruiter comes from one-to-one communication. Be sure to edit templates with personalized information, like the appropriate name, position, fun references, and customized content.

*Want more timely templates? Check out our blog on *[*9 business text templates you should be using today*](https://blog.textus.com/9-text-message-templates-for-businesses)*.*

### Unplug.

[Nothing kills productivity more than chasing every social notification](http://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/social-media-addiction-the-productivity-killer.html), email alert, and Slack ping that comes up on your computer screen. While you need these tools to stay in touch, you also need a break from them to do your job well. Schedule time every day to unplug.

- Snooze your social media accounts.
- Ignore your inbox.
- Step away from Slack.

*Looking for more on balancing your online time? Check out our blog on *[*avoiding the social media time suck*](https://blog.textus.com/recruiters-are-you-in-a-social-media-wormhole-heres-how-to-get-out)*.*

### Unitask.

Studies show that multitasking isn’t just inefficient. [It shrinks your brain and costs the world an estimated $450 billion annually](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2768303/Do-use-smartphone-tablet-watching-TV-Then-brain-wasting-away.html). That is a hefty price tag for a strategy that doesn’t even get things done faster!

Instead, become a master of unitasking.

- Schedule time each day to focus entirely on a single project.
- When you are on the phone with a client, avoid checking your email or searching for a resource to send them after the call. Instead, focus entirely on them. This will not only improve your productivity and save your brain -- it’ll make you a better recruiter.
- Keep the tabs or windows you have open down to a minimum -- focus only what you are working on in the moment.
- Be tidy! Cleaning off your work desk, emptying out your inbox, and streamlining your desktop will help you minimize distraction.

*Curious about what else will make you a recruiting superstar? Check out our blog on *[*7 habits of highly effective recruiters*](https://blog.textus.com/7-habits-of-highly-effective-recruiters)*.*

[View full post](https://blog.textus.com/5-productivity-hacks-for-recruiters)

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