Hang on, folks. The dry season of summer recruiting is coming in HOT.
Unlike the abundance that is the spring hiring season, summer recruiting is a notorious subject for seasoned talent pros to rookies alike. People take advantage of the amazing weather and break from school to take a vacation to their destination of choice, and unofficial summer hours go into full effect (I once worked at a place that participated in “Summer Fridays,” which virtually turned the office into a wasteland past 3 pm). Candidates can be harder to reach than ever during this laid back season.
1. Open your mind to less-seasoned candidates
While many of your more experienced job seekers are busy sitting poolside, there is one (rather large) group of people eager for a new position: graduates. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 1.9 million people obtained bachelor’s degrees in the 2018-2019 school year. Yes, they may not have years of experience in their chosen field, but they have probably earned valuable experience in other positions, internships, et cetera. Summer gives you the opportunity to spend time coaching this overlooked talent and start someone’s career on the right foot.
2. Follow up
As we know all too well, very few people are actively hitting the job market during this time of year. Planned PTO for trips, weddings, family reunions and so on has candidates saying “maybe after my schedule calms down.” So it’s time for you to flex those recruiting skills and create an opportune moment. Whether it’s by hand or in your ATS, create a list of candidates who didn’t quite fit your openings at the time and why. They could be the answer to your future hiring problems, so taking the time to get organized is key.
3. Get creative
The candidates may be passive, but your style should be anything but! Hit the web and make sure your social presence is strong. A healthy posting strategy is just the ticket to help you stay at the top of candidate feeds, so posting consistently and earning likes and comments will get you far with LinkedIn’s newsfeed algorithm. Who knows who will see your LinkedIn post and reach out for help? You never know where you’ll find the next possibility!
4. Market your job’s sunny disposition
Use the inherent positivity that comes with a sunshine-drenched season and take the time to highlight what truly makes your open position desirable. Does that office participate in Summer Fridays? What about remote opportunities that will let a new hire work in their chosen destination? Are you pulling out all of the stops and providing ice cream treats and outside time during the week? You have something that can make this job special and keep your candidate from daydreaming about the beach, we promise.
There’s no one perfect way to get through a slower season, but when you have people as awesome as the ones at Kinetix giving you tips or even helping you hire, we know you’ll find even more ways to reach your goals and fill those crucial roles!