Recruiting as a profession has elements in common, but who you do the recruiting for is as varied as can be. For example, there are military, pharmaceutical, finance, management, sales and sports recruiters.
Some recruiters work very specifically with one profession, such as a military or sports recruiter. Others — such as management, sales, or financial recruiting — work with a lot of different companies and industries.
You may think of these recruiters as dealing with banks and equity firms, but they’re just as likely to work with manufacturing, education and energy companies.
One thing the recruiting profession has in common with others is the tendency to slow down and take time off during the holiday season. What you may not realize is that the holidays can be a prime time for recruiting because prospects have more time to talk and consider the job offers. Many take the time to evaluate their current position as they head into a new year.
With that in mind, here are some of the biggest reasons to dive into the holiday recruitment process and head into the new year with a score of new recruits:
Less Competition
The holiday season is truly a down time for businesses and many recruiters follow suit. If you choose to be active, there will be less competition for top candidates who have more down time as well.
More Time for Reflection
The candidates you will be contacting will have more free time and the ability to entertain your calls. This is also a time where your top recruits may be evaluating their current professional status and be open to making a move.
Active Social Media
Most people are more active on social media during the holidays posting, shopping and sending greetings. This makes candidates easier to locate and the different platforms great ways to get in touch with them.
Goodwill Abounds
During the holiday season, people are more open to giving and considering others. They will also be more open to new opportunities for them when you discuss possible job opportunities. You will be able to especially hone in on how the new position would be a benefit to the candidate and their family in the new year.
Fresh Graduates
It’s winter break for college students and new graduates — and one third of students graduate right before the holiday season. So this is a prime time for contacting top recruits who are new graduates, and even those who will graduate in the coming spring.
New Budgets
Businesses will be ready with new budgets in December, thereby giving employers the knowledge of how many recruits they want and the salaries available to pay them. So you’ll be better prepared with everything you need to reach out to candidates during the holiday season.
So there you have it. If you rev up your recruiting business during the holiday season, you will be on track to begin the new year with success. While others are taking down time, you can be talking with top candidates who are receptive to the discussion and available to consider your proposal. Make this your time to shine when the world seems a little more open to new possibilities.
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steveark says
I’m a huge fan of yours from Stacking Benjamins! I was a chemical engineer in the oil and chemical industry and made strong bonds with a number of top recruiters in my field because when they brought me job offers I passed those on to my boss and secured raises just about every time. I stayed at one company but the market intel provided by world class recruiters allowed me to earn similar compensation to what I would have received hopping jobs, without having to change jobs at all. In turn I fed the recruiters names of disgruntled employees in my network which brought them a hefty amount of placement fees. It was a symbiotic partnership we both benefitted from. It also allowed me to build my reputation in my company so I could rise from a summer intern to the VP and GM of a billion dollar corporation. Those recruiters were my bff’s.