The New Year is a time when many business owners look at recruiting new staff. Although you may feel like you have plenty of time to find the right candidate for next year, if you are considering hiring new employees to start in January, February or March, you probably need to begin the recruitment process earlier than you might think.
Recruiting, if done properly, typically takes at least six weeks – waiting until January to think about your staffing needs for the year might mean a delay until April. Can your business afford to wait that long? If not, you need to start thinking about getting the process started in December. Although many of us are winding down before the summer break, it is worth considering your needs, and the implications of waiting, before putting recruitment on the to-do list for January.
It is possible to start the search for new candidates in December, although it might require a different approach.
Use December for planning and searching for prospective candidates
Although there may be a shortage of applicants for positions through the usual avenues, such as job ads, companies that look at their recruitment strategically would use this time of the year to ensure they have mapped out their sourcing needs for the early new year, they would have identified how they will source the candidate/s (directly or through an agency) and their recruitment process would focus on identifying suitable candidates through passive means (more search focused) rather than simply placing an ad online. They would take this time to do their research via social media and industry websites, and gather a short list of candidates to contact in the New Year.
Possible avenues for finding potential recruits in December include:
- Personal and professional networks
- Industry websites
- Leading company websites in the industry you are looking to recruit from
Although candidates may not be looking for work just now, many people return to work after the New Year with the goal of finding a new position, and if you are able to get in and contact them first, you can end up with your pick of the best candidates for the job.
Get the process started in early January
If you have compiled a list of potential candidates through December, the candidates can be contacted early in January, and get the process started. If the shortlisting and interviewing then happens in early January, your new candidate may be ready to start in February.
Waiting a few weeks to start searching in early January might mean not only a longer delay filling the role, but also more competition, as the candidates may be more actively job hunting in the new year.
If you need staff for the New Year, and you don’t start thinking about recruiting now, there is a chance you might end up rushing the process, or making bad hiring decisions, which can lead to more stress, time and expense than necessary.
Starting ahead of time can give you the advantage of being able to conduct a thorough interview and screening process, and give you a good chance of finding the right person to fill the role. Your employees are the cornerstones of your business – don’t leave it too late and end up making hasty decisions.
