The year may be ending, but that doesn’t mean you should become lax with your recruitment efforts. The last quarter of the year has a reputation of being a low season for hiring talent, but that’s no longer the case. Opportunities can spring up any time, and more people in the workforce are braver in taking leaps to find a new career path.
As such, it could be an excellent time for your HR manager or recruitment company to focus on getting the perfect people to join your team. Scouting for talent during the holidays will give you a head start in fulfilling your company’s goals for the new year rather than chasing recruits at the beginning of the year.
Why the End of the Year is the Best Time to Recruit
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Kickstart the following year right
It’s a bit more challenging to get the ball rolling with your future projects if you’re going to be a few heads short. It’s much better for recruits to be part of year-end check-ins and goal-setting for the following year, so the transitions are more seamless. It’s also much more cost-effective for the company this way—you can cut down on training and dive right in once the new projects launch.
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More time to focus on applications
Since October through December is not traditionally part of peak hiring season, it will be easier for you to review the candidates who will send in their resumes and portfolios for review. There are fewer meetings and conferences for you to worry about, resulting in a more flexible window in scheduling candidates for interviews.
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Lesser competition
December is a notorious time off for most people. The holidays would usually deter most applicants from editing their resumes and sending it to recruiters for a shot at working with you. The lower volume will help you go through the talent pool faster, resulting in less stress and agitation. These same candidates may also be aware that there is generally less competition during this time and are therefore leveraging that to come out at the top.
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Referrals are likely to be more effective
Since the holidays are filled with gatherings and a bit more free time, referrals may be more powerful during this season. You may encourage your employees to spread the news about your company’s open job positions to help gain top recruits.
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Social media will be alive and busy
Tripling your social media efforts during the end of the season will help you reach a lot of people because of the relaxed environment at offices, and job seekers will have more time on their hands.
Job seekers will have the opportunity to update their LinkedIn profiles and resumes. They’ll be able to browse job listings with a more keen and detailed approach. As a recruiter, you have to meet this influx of eager job seekers on social media. Efforts like these are enough to incite curiosity and put you in people’s minds, paving the way for greater visibility once the festivities end.
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Opportunity to communicate with prospects
If you don’t find the right fit for your company during this time, there’s a big chance you can start nurturing those you want to attract to work for you. Starting a conversation with passive candidates and inciting interest can prove to be useful later down the road. This can be through social media or social gatherings in the season.
Tips and Tricks for Recruiting in the Last Quarter of the Year
1. Get Creative
During the last few months of the year, the motivation and attention of most people in the workforce collectively decline. When posting about job opportunities, make sure that you make it attention-grabbing. You can even use the holiday season to your advantage by tailoring your recruitment campaign materials to ride the end-of-year hype. Stand out from the noise and don’t let your posts get buried under all the holiday internet traffic – it may go to waste!
2. Refine your hiring process
The end of the year is also a good time to practice and test out any new hiring strategies you may have recently acquired in preparation for the heavier recruitment season to come. If for any reason you’re holding off hiring at this time, use this chance to continue evaluating top candidates in your pool that you may want to get in touch within the coming year.
Here are some steps you should consider streamlining to improve your hiring process:
- Clarity of information in the job post
- Tools to screen resumes
- Response time to applicants
- Quality of questions to ask in the interview
- Examination process, if applicable
- Presentation of the job offer to the right candidate
3. Use other means of promotion
LinkedIn, Kalibrr, and Jobstreet are some of the most common job posting networks online. Try getting into social networking groups on Facebook with charming visuals and copy or use hashtags on Twitter for higher visibility. Keep in mind that you’re creating content for social media, so use short copy and be direct. Make sure to include contact details or the link to a complete job post in case they need more information.
Final Thoughts
An effective recruitment process requires alert hiring managers and creative hiring techniques all year-round. Polish your strategies every quarter and don’t take any applicant for granted. You never know when the right candidate will be coming knocking at your door, high season or not.
