I have a true commitment to my employer, and I have an internal drive that never dies. I think with all the technology we have strapped to us at all times, it’s tough to escape. I remember when I was a bit green in this industry, and didn’t care as much. I’d take my vacations and completely disengage from everything work. It was fine and great and all that stuff, but what sucked was coming back to an inbox so bloated it would take me an entire day or two to attempt to get through it. And the biggest issue; a week away from candidates, hiring managers, and clients can leave a hefty dent in your wallet if you’re paid on commission. You hear people talk about stress, and the need to take vacations. A recent study by Towers Perrin argues Employees Stress can add to Perfomance Risk. I agree, a little. But what’s more stressful, missing out on a placement or two (or more) and taking a significant hit to your book of business, or being available at times even when you’re on vacation? I guess I lean towards keeping my book of business built up, but that’s just me.

So how can you refresh while maintaining your book of business?

The key trend I’ve seen over these 10 years is the flexibility and understanding from most employers. Most understand recruiting is not an 8-5 job anymore. If they don’t, please educate them! It’s a job that you get done whenever you can, whether that be closing a candidate at 7 at night, or meeting a candidate before he goes to work at 6:30 in the morning. You do what you need to do. But likewise, employers need to understand and remember that extra time you put in (even while you’re on vacation), and allow you that flexibility to take a day off or an hour off here and there when it’s slow. Worse case, they better credit you those hours spent working on vacation. Make sure to talk to your manager, ask them for that flexibility. Most will not have an issue, as long as you’re delivering results and bringing in revenue. If you’re not producing, don’t ask.

I think it’s important to use those hours/days to do something you really enjoy. Go play a round of golf, hang out with friends, take a 3-4 day weekend and venture somewhere away from home, or whatever else you like to do. I find it’s essential to do things you really enjoy when you’re taking those extra few hours. If you’re just going home and mowing the lawn or grocery shopping or some other mundane weekly chore, you’re not going to get that refreshed feeling. When you aren’t meeting candidates/employees for lunch, go take a walk outside, go for a run, something to rid your mind of work for a little while.

Now on the other side of the coin, if you’re the type the NEEDS an extended vacation, there’s a few important steps to do before taking one. For the few weeks leading up to a vacation, you should work extremely hard to put together a detailed, lengthy hotlist for the sales organization and for whomever is filling in for you. The few times I have taken a vacation away from work, I made sure the sales folks were completely aware of all the available candidates I had for each particular skillset I was responsible for. It helped, but I rarely made placements because I wasn’t there pushing the envelope. In my experience, the person filling in for you or looking out for your book of business wasn’t particularly concerned about helping you when they still had their own responsibilities to worry about. Keep that in mind.

I always looked at vacation hours spent working not necessarily as a negative, as long as my employer saw the effort and value I was giving them. America is burnt out, we see it all over. People work too much, and don’t take enough time for themselves. But put things into perspective, you don’t need to take a 2 week vacation every year. A day off here and there, a long weekend every once in a while will typically suffice. In fact, it makes me cherish those afternoons off a little more, and I get to take a few more afternoons off compared to taking 2 straight weeks. Remember, your employer or employees are contacting you because they need you. That’s a good problem to have these days. I’d be scared if I didn’t get called. As soon as you’re not needed, well, you’re not needed.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.