Recruiters face several challenges during the summer. Think back over the past few months. How many candidates said, “I can’t interview because I’m on vacation” when you call them with an opportunity? Trying to maneuver around candidates’ vacations is difficult enough without the added challenge of coordinating with hiring teams’ summer schedules.
The week after Labor Day is the time when candidates, companies, and hiring managers refocus their hiring goals for the quarter and the remainder of the year. Recruiters need to prepare for increased demands from hiring managers that want to get candidates in the door and hired as soon as possible. Candidates will be in the spotlight because almost all recruiters will be working to meet third quarter goals and hiring initiatives. This time of the year marks the final push: Are we meeting the numbers or not?
After more than two decades in the recruiting industry, I’ve learned that one of the best times of the year for hiring is in September and October. I recommend that recruiters conduct calls with clients soon to strategize about their hiring goals for the remainder of 2012. It is also never too soon to talk about 2013 in order to start building your pipeline of candidates for next year.
For recruiters, the most wonderful time of the year might not be between Thanksgiving and New Years. In fact, recruiting and hiring tend to significantly slow down once you hit Thanksgiving. Therefore, I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only recruiter that feels like joining the parents prancing down the notebook aisle.
This post was written by former Seamless Workforce contributor Donna Vespe.
