It’s the most wonderful time of the year…the office is merry, parties are approaching, and there are goodies for everyone to share. For recruiters, getting through the holiday season can feel like sprinting a marathon. Without the right mindset and strategy in place, it can easily get away.
In Talent Acquisition the holiday season lends itself to a slower time for hiring. Nicole Cox, Chief Recruitment Officer with Decision Toolbox says, “Conventional wisdom says that, between Thanksgiving and New Years’ Day, the job market slows like molasses in winter.” She adds that traffic dips on the job boards, and if you are a recruiter you may have experienced lower response rates recruiting during the holidays.
However, if executed effectively, the holiday season can prove to be a great time to identify and hire top performers.
More candidates are available:
Many are planning to use their remaining time off between now and December 31st, which means they are free to take calls, schedule interviews, and search job postings.
Resist the urge to relax, be creative:
Candidates might be easier to reach, but they also might be less inclined to talk to you so creativity is key.
Connect with candidates in festive ways:
· Send greeting cards or email festive messages
· Host or attend holiday events and trade shows held by local chapters and associations
· Leverage social media by responding to holiday posts from potential candidates
In recruiting, timing is everything but the holidays can be a stressful time for candidates. You want to ensure that you are respectful of the candidate’s time. Hello Talent suggest the following do’s and don’ts during the season:
1) Don’t contact people on the holiday itself
2) Do use holiday cheer to nurture your existing talent pipeline
3) Do invite prospects to company holiday parties
4) Don’t push people who are too busy, suggest a time to reconnect next year
When connecting is no longer possible, use this time to plan for next year:
· Review your progress and challenges this year and identify ways to improve. Work with the team to brainstorm fresh ideas.
· Determine your staffing needs for the coming year and begin a strategy to reconnect with candidates from the past.
· Source new talent online. Update job descriptions and post current and potential openings.
The holiday season is a time for all to enjoy, but we cannot assume that everyone has checked out until 2018. Use this time to develop new candidate relationships, nurture existing ones, and plan for another successful year of recruiting.
Sources: Dtoolbox.com; Hellotalent.com; LinkedIn.com