Although summer is traditionally a slower time for many companies, aggressive hiring executives know that it is a great time to step-up their game and attract the best people.
That said, successful recruiting in the summer requires a unique approach. Here are a few tips:
First, be sure to adjust your messaging for the summer months when candidates are more likely to be using mobile devices to read job descriptions, schedule interviews, etc. Keep it simple and make sure that you are mobile-friendly. And, don’t be afraid to communicate by text, especially when it comes to scheduling interviews or discussing an offer that’s already on the table.
Next, although summer vacation season is a great time to reach candidates, it may work against you if your candidate will need to meet with multiple people with vacations of their own. For this reason, make sure that you set clear expectations with your team about making interviews a priority.
And, finally, expect your chances of success to be greatly diminished if you are taking more than three weeks to get from from initial contact to final offer. Try to get out in front of the issue by being upfront with the candidate. Get a sense of how quickly they’re willing to make a decision. If they’re not in a hurry, there's no issue, and if they are, try to accommodate their schedule ... or risk losing them.
Also, summer is the best time to for candidates open to relocation. This is particularly true for more senior talent who have family obligations that can make it more complicated to relocate during the school year. The same goes for candidates who might need to sell their home. The relative ease of making a move in the summer months provides even more incentive for out-of-town candidates.
Smart companies know that summer is actually a great time to recruit top talent. With a bit of creativity, you can attract some of the best people in time to hit the ground running in the fall and ensure you hit your goals.
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