Christmas is considered one of the quietest times of the year when it comes to recruiting, since everyone enjoys the time with their families and friends, eats too much food, and then sleeps off the food coma. With experience in the recruitment industry, however, it becomes apparent that the festive season being quiet is a misconception, and it’s actually a great time for recruiters to continue their success.
Most people come up with New Years resolutions hoping to make positive changes in their lives, like joining a gym or finding a new job. During Christmas break, when people have a little more time to themselves, they tend to start searching and applying for jobs. You could be missing out on potential talent if you have a 'recruitment freeze' before the new year begins. Despite the fact that you will be faced with a greater influx of candidates in January, you will also have other businesses competing to get them.
If you are looking to continue your recruitment efforts over the holiday season, follow these tips for a smoother and more efficient process.
Strengthen your company’s attractiveness
In order to strengthen your employer brand during the Christmas period, you need a good online and social presence. This will increase audience awareness of the various roles and opportunities your company can offer them. In addition to making sure that all your adverts are on each job board and on several social media sites, making sure to keep clients and candidates updated on what your company has accomplished over the past year and what services your company can offer will also help.
Optimise your adverts
Stand out from the crowd with your job advertisements! It doesn't take a professional SEO expert to do the basics right. Consider this: if I were a perfect candidate, what would I search for on Google to find the job? Make sure the word or phrase appears in the title and the ad itself. If you need help writing job descriptions, briefs or even making sure that your advert is appearing alognisde those of your competitors on the top job boards, partnering with a recruitment agency ensures your ad is seen by the right people.
Keep that top employee from leaving
While your new recruits can take most of your care and attention, it’s important not to forget your star employees over the holiday season. Many people make new years' resolutions to find a new job, so it is important to reward your best employees to ensure that they will not be one of those people. Retention is the key to success!
Make sure everyone is well informed
An employee's first day can be stressful and daunting, especially at this time of year. Hiring during the holidays is a great way to put a candidate’s mind at ease, when done correctly. You can take advantage of the festivities to introduce them seamlessly into company life. However, it’s essential not to let the holidays distract you from your usual onboarding process. Leaving your new hire hanging without any information about starting dates or what the company has planned in the coming weeks can cause more stress than anything. Keep your new employees well informed if you want them to have a warm and successful welcome!
Taking all these elements into account, it becomes clear that December isn't as quiet as people perceive it to be and that it can, in fact, be one of the busiest times in the recruitment calendar year.
If you need any assistance planning in the busy month of December or need help with your recruitment strategy before the end of the year, contact us today! Our recruitment experts are happy to help.