(Editor’s note: The information from this article by Top Echelon Recruiting Software has been taken from an Expert Recruiter Coaching Series webinar by Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS of Good as Gold Training titled, “Too Much to Do . . . and Not Enough Time?” Click HERE to watch the video of that training webinar for free.)

We’ve all been there—another workday ends, and despite being glued to your desk, your to-do list looks nearly untouched. You’ve been answering calls, handling candidate inquiries, chasing clients, and attending meetings, yet the critical tasks that drive revenue remain untouched. What gives?

“It’s not a time problem,” says Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS, one of the industry’s most respected trainers and founder of Good as Gold Training. “It’s an activity management problem. You’ve got to manage what you do within the time you have.”

In a recent webinar hosted by Top Echelon, Bruno didn’t just talk about managing time—she challenged recruiters, business developers, and staffing pros to confront how they’re wasting it. This article expands upon her training and provides distilled, actionable wisdom to help you take back control, prioritize effectively, and grow your recruiting business.

Why You’re Always Behind

If you feel like you’re further behind at the end of the day than when you started, you’re not alone.

“It’s not about working harder,” Bruno reminds us. “There are thousands of recruiters and managers who work incredibly hard. But their hard work doesn’t equate to high production. That’s because they’re spending their time on the wrong things.”

And that’s the real issue. You don’t need five more hours in the day. You need to stop wasting the ones you already have.

Bruno challenged attendees to write down three ideas from her training to implement in August, September, and October, saying: “If you leave this session and don’t implement anything, then it was a waste of your time.”

Let’s dive into the top time-wasters and the concrete solutions to fix them, organized across three core categories: candidates, clients, and—you guessed it—your own habits.

Candidate Time Wasters (And Solutions)

1. Endless Calls from Unqualified Candidates

Problem: Unqualified candidates keep calling and they want your time.

Solution: Be honest and brief. “You’re not a non-profit,” says Bruno. “You’re not here to give free advice all day.”

Instead of indulging endless conversations, offer them resources (not competitors), or better yet, a five-minute courtesy interview explaining what they need to become marketable.

“Every time you talk to someone you’ll never place, you might as well hand them $100. That’s how much it costs you in lost time.”

2. Candidates Calling for Status Updates

Problem: Good candidates want updates, but they’re calling throughout the day.

Solution: Set boundaries. Tell candidates upfront that you’ll be marketing them all day and that you accept status updates or resume changes only between 4–5 p.m.

Bruno shares a powerful script:

“I want to be able to market you all day long. So to be fair to you and my other candidates, I only take update calls during this specific hour.”

3. Interviewing Candidates You Can’t Place

Problem: You spend time interviewing people who don’t meet your standards.

Solution: Require paperwork first. If they don’t have the background, don’t waste time on a full interview.

“We place less than 5% of the people we attract. That means 95 out of 100 people we talk to aren’t going to get placed. You owe them honesty.”

4. Getting Too Friendly with Candidates

Problem: Friendly turns into informal and that leads to problems.

Solution: Build rapport based on trust, not friendship. If a candidate stops respecting your advice, pass them off to another recruiter.

“Friends take advantage because they know you’ll understand. That’s not how professional relationships should operate.”

5. Talking Too Much in Interviews

Problem: Recruiters dominate the conversation.

Solution: Talk one-third of the time. Let the candidate speak. Listen to understand, not to respond or judge.

“God gave you two ears and one mouth. Use them in that ratio.”

6. Interviewing for a Specific Role Only

Problem: Candidates feel like a checkbox for a job posting, not a human being.

Solution: Always conduct a general interview, even if they answered a job ad.

“When you start with the job and not the person, you confirm what they already believe: that you don’t care about what they want.”

7. Surprises in the Hiring Process

Problem: A candidate suddenly ghosts, backs out, or changes course.

Solution: Ask one question every time:

“Has anything changed since the last time we talked?”

This one question reduces nearly every unpleasant surprise in recruiting.

8. Starting from Scratch Every Time

Problem: You’re not documenting candidate insights, so you repeat work.

Solution: Use your ATS. Really use it.

“If it’s not in the ATS, it didn’t happen. And if you hate your ATS, learn to use it better.”

9. Working with Window Shoppers

Problem: They’re just testing the market—or trying to leverage a raise.

Solution: Ask this critical question:

“If you were your boss, what five things would you change about your current job?”

This reveals real frustrations and stops counteroffers before they happen.

10. High-Maintenance Candidates

Problem: Some candidates are too difficult to deal with.

Solution: Walk away. Your time is better spent recruiting a better fit.

Client Time Wasters (And Solutions)

1. Vague Job Orders

Problem: You get incomplete or recycled job specs.

Solution: Break the job into percentages and request five performance objectives. Ask:

• What percentage of time is spent on each responsibility?

• How will this person be evaluated in 6–12 months?

“Performance objectives are a game-changer. They tell you what the client really wants, not just a recycled job description.”

2. Working Cold or Dormant Job Orders

Problem: You’re chasing positions that have no urgency.

Solution: Confirm a specific fill date and secure interview times before recruiting.

“If they’re not ready to interview, they’re not serious about filling the job.”

3. Clients Who Can’t Sell the Job

Problem: They assume the offer speaks for itself.

Solution: Help them build a story. Share candidate motivators—especially for Gen Z and millennials, who prioritize training, learning, and growth.

“Candidates don’t want a lateral move for more money. They want a stretch, something that makes them more marketable.”

4. Taking Jobs Outside Your Specialty

Problem: You’re trying to fill everything and getting nowhere.

Solution: Stay in your lane. Refer out or use a split network like Top Echelon.

“You lose money chasing purple squirrels. Know who you are and stay focused.”

5. Single Points of Contact

Problem: Your client leaves the company and you lose everything.

Solution: Build at least three internal relationships per client.

“When a client leaves and doesn’t tell you, that’s your sign. You were a vendor, not a trusted advisor.”

6. Impossible Job Orders

Problem: Clients want the moon and stars—for minimum wage.

Solution: Help them revise expectations. If they won’t budge, decline the order.

7. Slow Hiring Processes

Problem: Delay kills deals.

Solution: Encourage panel interviews and propose a “fast-track” process for rockstars.

“You don’t wait to teach them about urgency when you have the unicorn. You teach them now.”

8. Uninspired Job Postings

Problem: The job sounds boring even if it isn’t.

Solution: Make the job sound like marketing collateral. Ask the client:

“If this role were on a billboard, what would it say? Why should someone be excited to work here?”

Personal Time Wasters (And Solutions)

1. Bringing Personal Problems to Work

Solution: Compartmentalize. Set boundaries for your thoughts the same way you do for your space.

“Your clients don’t care about your bad day. They care about how you can benefit them.”

2. Asking Too Many Questions

Problem: You’re constantly interrupting your manager.

Solution: Write questions down and batch them. And before you ask, try answering this first:

“What’s your solution?”

3. Getting Nothing Out of Conversations

Problem: If you don’t get a job or candidate, you get nothing.

Solution: Always have a second goal—like gathering insight, referrals, or a direct email address.

4. Verbally Presenting Candidates Internally

Problem: You walk over and say, “Hey, is this a match?”

Solution: Use a candidate presentation form. Provide full context: resume highlights, salary, availability, reasons for leaving, and selling points.

5. Working Without a Plan

Problem: You waste half the day deciding what to do.

Solution: Plan every day before you leave work.

“Big billers know exactly who they’re calling the next morning. They don’t waste time thinking—they start executing.”

6. Obsessing Over Call Volume

Problem: You track dials, but not results.

Solution: Focus on output: how many interviews booked, job orders written, or offers extended. Track what moves the needle.

7. Talking to the Same People

Problem: You’re spinning your wheels with the same contacts.

Solution: Commit to telling 20 new people each day how you can benefit them.

“Even if they’re average calls, you can’t fail if you talk to 20 new people a day.”

Final Advice: Pick Three Changes—and Implement Them

You’ve now read over 30 practical solutions that can help transform your productivity and profitability. But don’t let it overwhelm you. Start simple.

Pick three things from this article—one for August, one for September, and one for October.

“If you implement just three of these ideas, I promise you: You’ll get hours back in your day, place more candidates, and make more money,” said Barb.

Time is finite. But when you manage your activities with precision, honesty, and discipline, you multiply your results. As Barb Bruno says:

“This isn’t just a job. It’s a career. You write your own paycheck. Make sure the actions you take every day are worth it.”