Recruiting Strategy
‘Tis the season to be hiring…
Pamela Weaver
HireHive
Pamela Weaver
HireHive
Pamela Weaver
HireHive
Pamela Weaver
HireHive
It’s holiday time. Candidates figure you’re too busy trying to clear your desk and get out the door to risk submitting an application that will end up buried under 10 days’ worth of email.
Meanwhile, your colleagues are postponing pulling the trigger on a new role in the hope that January will bring more budget and better candidates.
Sounds like the perfect time to put some sparkle on your talent pool, build your employer brand and maybe poach some passive candidates who’ve starting thinking that the new year could be a good time to move to their next role.
Set yourself up for a new year where you’ll have your pick of the talent, every time, with these tips.
Spread the good cheer: Christmas is a great time for networking. It’s also a great time for nurturing your talent pool, whether it’s next year’s crop of graduates or existing talent you haven’t quite got the right role for – yet. Invite prospects to your offices for some festive nibbles and a glass of something. Or use the occasion as an excuse to drop a passive candidate a line wishing them the compliments of the season. Smart candidates will value the opportunity to mingle with potential employers. You get to build your company’s brand as an employer of choice.
Move quickly: If you’ve got a good candidate in mind for a role, don’t leave it to the New Year to make contact (or make an offer). Candidates interviewing at this time of the year are looking for a fresh start after the holidays – if they have a few options open, they’re more likely to accept the one that’s in the bag than gamble on waiting to hear back from you.
Communicate: Related to no.2, make sure to manage candidate expectations. Communicate clearly around when they can expect to hear back from you. Don’t leave people hanging – if you can’t make a decision before January, say so.
Plan ahead: If you’ve got candidates in mind for roles you know you’ll be hiring for early next year, now is the time to nail down times and availability with your interview panel members. That gives you the chance to approach people with concrete times and dates now. Before they go on holiday. The quiet(ish) time between Christmas and New Year is a also great time to review applications.
Post today: Have an urgent role but you’re worried people won’t apply because they’re not available for interview? Post the ad – and state clearly that you won’t be interviewing until January. The early bird applications are likely to be both motivated and keen to make a move.
Build you brand: Maybe you’re not hiring until the middle of next year. Use the time to build your company’s brand – use the holidays as an excuse to communicate your company’s success stories over the year. Talk about future hiring plans. Take advantage of the up-tick in social media activity to spread the word with targeted tweets or Facebook messages that build your reputation as a great place to work.
Santa isn’t the only person who’s busy at this time of year. It's a great time to prepare for the year ahead.
“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
