recruiting-strategy
Why hiring in down season might be a good idea
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
Orla Hodnett
HireHive
With summer and holidays fast approaching, it may not seem like the time to be undertaking any new projects at work, but doing a little during down season may give you the edge over the competition. While there may not be any intense hiring going on it may still be an opportunity to engage with high-quality candidates. Here’s a few things to consider putting in motion before you board that plane.
With the intense hiring period over for larger companies, there’s less competition for top candidates.
With larger companies focussing on the traditional recruitment phase of August through to January, the down season may be the time for recruiters at smaller companies to strike. With the intense hiring period over for larger companies, there’s less competition for top candidates.
The summer is often the first opportunity for graduates to start their job hunt in earnest. June is often an intense time for graduate applications and you will likely see a spike in graduate CVs. If you’re seeking interns, recruiting in May and June is a strong likelihood, so don’t wind down operations for the summer just yet.
With most companies scaling down their recruiting for the summer, you’ve got the opportunity to pay more attention to candidates. With things being a little quieter, you can dedicate more time to sought-after candidates. It also works the other way, as candidates who might not have otherwise stood out and more likely to be given consideration, ensuring no skilled candidate is missed.
As you approach the end of the quarter or financial year, there may be unused resources lying around. With this acutely in mind, this may be your opportunity to set aside funding for badly needed new hires. With the deadline approaching and less of a strain on recruiting resources, summer may be the time to hire.
Even if key decision makers are out of the office and there’s no plans to hire, there’s still things to do. Consider taking the lull in recruiting as an opportunity to prepare for later in the year, when recruiting picks up again.
The drop in the usual level of intensity leaves a recruiting department with more time to network and build up a talent pool.
The drop in the usual level of intensity leaves a recruiting department with more time to network and build up a talent pool. By the time Autumn rolls around again, you’ll be in a much better position to start hiring. By engaging with passive candidates, you’ll be able to determine interest and suitability.
This is part of our Recruiting Strategy series.
This has a little bit to do with the previous tip. If you’re taking a little more time to weigh up the skill set and experience required for a role, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s required from a candidate. This will help everything from drafting your job ad, to filtering candidates. Taking the time to analyse what’s needed will improve the culture match and success of the hire.
“HireHive makes the team a lot more productive. We’d be lost without it. Team Leaders can do it all themselves if needed or jump in at the right time and know exactly where everything is and what’s happening.”
Hilary Dempsey Head of HR at Life Credit union
