Whether or not your company is looking to hire this holiday season, or simply planning for next year, we’ve compiled some information to help you keep the ball rolling on talent acquisition in either scenario. Through research and our own experience as recruiters, we have found that December is the slowest month for hiring. However, those who are searching for jobs during the holiday season face less competition, and the jobs posted during this time often attract savvy job seekers who understand this reality.
Recruiting and Hiring During the Holiday Season
So, if you are looking to hire in and around the holiday season, here are some tips to help make the process unfold more smoothly. Although these things are important year-round, they are especially crucial during this busy time of year.
- Have realistic timelines and be transparent with candidates about availability for interviews.
Establishing availability in addition to venue (virtual, phone, or in-person) ahead of time can save your team from scheduling headaches later. One way to reduce frustration is to utilize a tool such as Calendly, where you can set your availability for interviews and where candidates can schedule time on your calendar without all the back and forth.
- Get clear about what an offer to work for your company looks like.
If you have already decided on what your job offers will include, you’ll be better prepared to send offers out quickly in this condensed holiday season timeline. Additionally, if you are clear on the areas that you are willing to negotiate, like PTO days offered, you can let candidates know that during the interview process. This should make it clear for candidates what to expect during the offer process and any potential negotiations.
- Create attractive job postings.
As we stated earlier, job seekers around the holiday season are often savvier than your average candidate, which means that they are likely paying attention to the additional content listed in the job postings. Although there is less competition between candidates during this time, companies are still competing for each candidate’s attention. So, in addition to information about what the job will entail, you should include information about your company culture, benefits and perks of working with your company, and any other relevant information that will help your job posting stand out to candidates.
Not Hiring Now? What Your Company Can Do in the Meantime
On the other hand, what can you be doing in the meantime even if you don’t plan to hire anyone over the holidays?
- Forecast your future talent needs and make a plan based on past efforts.
Take a look at the roles your company hired for this year, and the avenues you took to fill those roles. Were the methods you used effective? Why or why not? Recapping the effort it took to fill your open positions this year should allow you to address and avoid the same pain points when planning for future hires.
- Set goals for the new year around your recruiting and hiring needs.
These goals can be short term or long term and should connect to the plan you create in tip #1. Having a clear idea of what success looks like can help you set goals and milestones for what needs to be achieved before you hire any additional roles, and what can be achieved once you have the additional talent on board. If you need a more in-depth breakdown of what this process looks like, click here.
- Work on your employment brand.
Your employment brand encompasses your culture, values, mission, and personality. When it comes to attracting top talent, candidates like seeing a strong company culture and clear communication of values to help them determine if a company will be a good fit for them. If you’re not actively hiring, it is a good time to devise a strategy for how you can incorporate your employment brand into your overall marketing strategy.
We hope this helps add some holiday cheer and energy back into the holiday recruiting and hiring process while giving you some tips for this season and the seasons to come. If you find yourself in either scenario described above, please reach out to our team today at 952-388-6120. Happy Holidays!
