Five Talent Acquisition Tips for the Holiday Season

While some organizations slow or pause their recruitment plans at the end of the year, for most, talent acquisition needs don’t take a holiday. But many candidates do – which can make hiring during the holidays a challenge for even the most experienced People and Culture teams.

Here are five tips to help you stand out from the crowd and keep your recruitment plans on track when working with candidates who are celebrating this season:

1. Be flexible.

Candidates who are serious about finding their next opportunity won’t put their search on hold over the holidays, but they may not be available when, where, or how you’d like. Whether it’s vacation, kids on school break, family commitments or unexpected weather, a lot of things can make interviewing hard at this time of year. Consider: offering interview times outside of traditional business hours; giving additional lead time for scheduling interviews or completing activities; prioritizing virtual interviews; understanding that wi-fi can be unpredictable and backup locations may not be ideal (e.g., a hotel lobby, the front seat of the car); and even revisiting the number and length of interviews required.

2. Focus on your corporate culture.

Putting corporate culture front and centre on your website, in your job descriptions and as part of your interview process is table stakes these days. But at this time of year it’s especially important to ensure your hiring practices reflect and highlight the culture a candidate can expect if they join your organization. You’ve got a people-first culture?  Working with a candidate’s personal commitments at this time of year can showcase that trait. Transparency is a core behaviour? Being up-front in job postings and interview scripts about key dates and deadlines related to the search will be appreciated by candidates.

3. Take a personalized approach to your communications.

Don’t underestimate the power of a customized email, voice mail or text! AI is a wonderful tool, but it’s highly impersonal and its output can read like a form letter. Taking the time to personalize your outreach and ongoing communications with candidates will show you’re committed to your talent acquisition plans and to them as potential new hires.

4. Don’t read too much into slow response times.

At any other time of year, slow response times from a candidate would be a red flag but over the holidays, it might just be a sign of the season. People often mute their alerts or even take short breaks from technology while spending time with friends and family. Be open to adjusting your expectations (see number 1 above), and then clearly and transparently share any deadlines or expectations when you communicate with candidates. You’ll be sending a clear message about your corporate culture, and top candidates will rise to the occasion.

5. Consider hiring an executive search partner.

Working with an executive search firm gives you access to a vast network of candidates, specialized recruitment skills, and additional bandwidth that can help keep talent acquisition on track during the holiday season and allow your team to focus on other critical year-end projects.

While it can sometimes feel like things slow down around the holiday season, that’s not always the case when it comes to executive recruitment. Having a strategy for keeping your recruitment efforts on track this holiday season is key. Contact us today to find out how our team of experts can help you recruit better leaders, build better cultures and achieve better results this holiday season.