It’s no secret that this festive time of year is BIG for talent acquisition pros. Candidates are using this holiday break downtime to scour job boards, reassess yearly goals and agree to new opportunities.
You might be asking: How can recruiters get in on this seasonal spike in candidate activity? With a little help from Santa Claus himself, of course – bear with me here.
The big man up north is making his list and he’s checking it twice – the recruiter nice list that is.
If you’ve been on your best behavior with talent then you’ll receive a ton of great resumes wrapped under your tree before the year’s end. But beware if you’ve been practicing poor recruiting habits in 2017 – you’ll likely find dusty, bland, COAL-like candidates in your stocking.
One thing we know for sure? It’s not too late to turn your holiday season hiring around – these are 3 ways to solidify your spot on the recruiter nice list:
- Create Confidence Through Your Candidate Experience – This means more than just responding in a timely fashion to messages and calls from potential new hires. Try walking a mile in your talent’s snow boots from application to onboarding – and ask yourself along the way if each step in the hiring process is as clear as it can be.
The more confidence the candidate has in you, your client and the position, the more likely they will be to accept an offer. Keeping your talent warm and in your favor can lead to better referrals and help you open more professional doors – so don’t be afraid to add a personal touch to your communications.
- Own Your Personal Brand – personal brands are a lot like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike – but only if you are giving them the attention and care they deserve. It’s ok to mimic certain aspects of the personal brands you admire – in fact, at Kinetix we encourage it! But there is a fine line between influence and straight up copycatting.
Always use your own words in your statements on social media and don’t be afraid to show a little personality when you post messages to candidates. If you’re having trouble finding fresh, engaging content to share check out this Tremendous Upside post to get some inspiration.
- Be Truthful With Talent – As recruiting pros, we know just how pressing our goals and placements can be at this time of year – but don’t give into temptation by spreading white lies around your talent pool. If a role isn’t exactly what a candidate is looking for don’t force it with fancy language and purposefully distracting benefits.
Give your potential new hires the facts and let the talent decide if the gig balances out. The proof will be in the figgy pudding – you’ll be pleasantly surprised what a little honesty can do for your retention rates and relationships with key hiring managers.
In this heated job market, it can be all too easy to fall back on bad holiday hiring habits to close out the year. But if you really want purple squirrels to cozy up to your Christmas tree you will need to step up your recruiting game by using the tips listed above.