DON’T HIT THE BREAKS – JOB SEEKING AND HIRING DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS

 In Featured, News

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As we head into the summer months here at Acquire, we look ahead to the fiscal Q2 end and Q3 beginning and how we can optimise and maintain our business performance through what is contentiously referred to as the silly season or lull period.

If for you, it is generally a period of less bedlam than the remainder of the year and you find yourself in a hiring position or are looking to pastures new, I have shared some insights for how you can make the period as productive as possible for yourself.

For hiring managers

The summer is deemed to be the period when most job applications are inactive, and some companies put their hiring processes on hold. While this may seem like the least favourable time to look for new staff, it could work in your favour if you’re prudent and time efficient as that statement does not reflect everyone. Do not put the brakes on!

Hiring managers should be conscious that this period of the year is an excellent time to prospect new employees and build a ‘talent pipeline’ in conjunction with the workforce plan for the new calendar year. A strong digital marketing presence is a simple tool that can garner a business exposure through periods of inactivity.

In a time frame when we will have seen annual reports circa June 30th and half-yearly reports due around December 31st, there is some rare clarity as to where a business will be spending or cutting so even if you have not been assigned a specific budget, it is worth meeting with exceptional candidates for upcoming vacancies. Remember, some of them will have quite a bit of free time to review adverts and scan the market.

For aspiring job seekers

Although there is a tendency to view the summer period as a dip in hiring activity, I would argue that it is a great window of opportunity to fine tune credentials and build relationships with prospective employers or organisations that you want to target – at the very least, you’ll be in their minds if/when recruitment drive hits a surge again and be ahead of the pack.

If you are intending to explore the job market over the coming months either actively or passively, then the summer season will offer you a great window for reflection and evaluation as to what it is precisely you want to pursue and we at Acquire can offer you a forum for building this blueprint. Although we appreciate you may be heading away or wish to complete a significant piece of work or project, unless it is your magnum opus, it’s still prudent to have a solid plan in place.

A recent survey by PageUp (HR & Talent CRM Software) shows candidates are X3 times more likely to garner an offer for a job application when they utilise the services of a recruiter. This is indicative of the pro-activeness of an agent in the market-place based on the search preferences and hygiene factors a candidate shares. Even if you are otherwise engaged, you have someone fighting your corner and active in the pit.

In January 2018, twice as many people changed jobs as compared to December 2017 so the more prepared you are leading up to the new year, the better your chances of sourcing the ideal new role.