Monday Madness
A sneak peek into how we organize our weeks and declutter our days
Olivia, Talent Director
I feel organization is key to being a successful recruiter and over the years, I've found what works best for me! To-do lists, to-do lists, to-do lists - I wouldn't be able to get by without writing a daily list. I utilize the Goodnotes app and a digital planner on my iPad to write a to-do list and keep it updated throughout the day. I color-code my calendar to ensure I know what I have going on daily (I use a color app through Gmail to have pretty colors used only ha!) I also block out time daily to settle in in the morning and get ready for the following day, have lunch and walk my pup, source for new candidates, and do any admin that needs to be done.
In order to keep track of who I have interviewing per role and what my direct reports have going on, I use Google Sheets to have everything in one place. My favorite organization tool is a scheduler called MixMax. I've been using MixMax since 2017 and it's been a game-changer when it comes to scheduling candidates for calls as it completely eliminates any back and forth and allows them to schedule time when they have a chance. Special shout out to the giant matcha latte I have every morning, without you, I wouldn't be able to get anything done!
Gabby, Talent Consultant
I've played around with various tools to keep myself organized for work and I found that OneNote, Trello, and Google Calendar Tasks are the best ways to keep myself up to date on my busiest days. I use Trello to organize my projects and make sure I'm up to date on all candidate interviews and client relations work. One Note is a great tool I utilize for client meetings, email templates, and internal notes. I use Google Calendar Tasks to make sure I'm holding myself accountable for circling back with my co-workers, clients, and candidates for high-priority tasks.
Jen, Talent Manager
I am the first to admit that I am not the most organized person in the world, in any room, and certainly not at Monday Talent ;) - I'm a Leo, clutter and chaos are in my nature! Being very aware of this, I make a conscious effort to keep as organized as I can, even if it's in ways that only I can understand. The classic "To-Do List" is a must for me. I add tasks to the list as they come about, and at the end of every day, I take a look and make sure it's up to date and that I've taken care of anything urgent/time-sensitive. I have also found posting sticky notes to my desktop to be really helpful with tracking interviews, candidates submissions, etc., and serves as a quick go-to for information.
Silvana, Researcher
I love starting my week off with a fresh mindset. Sunday evenings are usually a time of relaxation, cleaning, and cooking for me, which I really enjoy before the workweek. I love to meditate on Sunday evenings and soothe my mind before Monday morning. Before I officially start work each day, I like to eat breakfast and look through my calendar and emails to create a to-do list of things for the rest of the day/week.
Carly, Partner and Founder
Some may say I'm borderline too organized, but for me, staying organized is the key to success. Typically, I leave my early mornings and middays open to catch up on emails, source for new candidates, and focus on administrative and operational tasks. Carving out specific times for these tasks (with rare exceptions), helps me to be most productive. You'll otherwise always find me on the phone from 10 am-12:30 pm and 2 pm-5:30 pm!
Jackie, Senior Talent Consultant
Being a recruiter can be extremely hectic - balancing client calls, internal meetings, sourcing for our roles, calling candidates, and administrative duties take up most of our time, so being highly organized is crucial to staying sane. Every Monday morning, I have standing blocks on my calendar that provide a list of which roles I'll be focusing on that week, and a recap of all the candidates I have in the process and each stage that they're at in their respective interview processes. I also utilize the Notes app on my computer and have a running note that gives me a quick refresher on everything that happened the week before. I update the note throughout the week so I can stay on top of everything as it happens. One organization tool I definitely couldn’t live without is color coordinating my calendar - internal meetings, client calls, candidate calls, interviews, and reminders are all different colors so I can easily keep track of my schedule every day.
Cecelia, Communications and Creative Manager
I’m just going to say it; organization is my weakness. I wish that weren’t the case and I do get spurts of tidiness when I am inspired by seeing someone else’s color-coded to-do list or calendar that is detailed down to the minute for the next two years.
For those who struggle in this category like myself, these are a few tips and tricks I have adopted over the years. For starters, I keep a long-term to-do list and a short-term to-do list. The long term is more of ongoing projects or little things I need to do often like certain maintenance things at work. My short-term list is tasks that can be completed within the day or week and these I usually keep in a notepad on my desk. We have also been using Monday.com which helps break down each task in more detail. I have much to learn!