A third of recruiters feel overwhelmed by their email account, according to a new survey.

The survey, from recruitment support company Ulysses IT, analysed new surveys by email firm GMX and secretarial recruiter Office Angels. It shows that keeping on top of email is a major concern for many recruiters, while women are more likely to feel embarassed by something they have written on in email and one in 10 respondents think they could have damaged a relationship with an email.

Paula Backen, director at Ulysses, says: “It’s crazy that we feel overwhelmed by what is essentially just a communication tool.

“But at the same time I know how people in these surveys felt. It’s easy to feel your heart sink when you switch your computer on and there are 50 new emails waiting to be read. It stops you doing any proper work.”