Talent Acquisition: 6 Important Do’s and Don’ts for This Christmas Season

The holiday season is right around the corner and as giddy as we all feel inside, we know that it comes with a flurry of activities and to-do lists.

It might be the most wonderful time of the year, but to many talent acquisition teams the lead up to the Christmas season can be a stressful period.

The thought of chasing after candidates, posting jobs in December, and managing the hiring process might have you wondering if you’re doing it right. While it’s tempting to wind down with another cup of hot chocolate and wait until January to kick-start the hiring process again – that’s not exactly how talent acquisition works.

But good news! There are various ways that you can be productive during the holiday season.

Here are a few talent acquisition dos and don’ts to help you tread through the festive season.

Don’t think top talent aren’t looking for jobs

The same way adults no longer believe in flying reindeers, talent acquisition specialists shouldn’t believe that top candidates don’t look for jobs during Christmas. In fact, conventional wisdom might deem that the holidays aren’t particularly the best time to post jobs (unless we’re looking to hire elves).

Therefore, a talent acquisition specialist might complain:

“I can’t get candidates on the phone.”
“I can’t get candidates in for interviews.”
“I’m not even getting a response.”

But the truth is, recruitment efforts shouldn’t shrink in December just because a couple of candidates aren’t very responsive. They might be booking a trip, doing some Christmas shopping, or spending quality time with loved ones.
And don’t forget about candidates on the other end of the spectrum; the ones who are desperately looking to start the new year with a great job. Also, it’s worthy to note that not all candidates celebrate the holiday season. There’s a diverse talent pool out there!

Think about it this way, in any competitive endeavor, you strive to beat out the competition. Candidates are no different. They aim to go against the flow and apply for jobs when others are idle. This is known as counter cycle recruiting. In this case, a talent acquisition push is made in quieter periods of time to take advantage of little to no competition.

Do enjoy the gift of time and post early

It’s not uncommon to find recruiters putting their job posting efforts to a halt in the months of November and December. In fact, many seem to believe that the best month to start posting jobs is January. It’s the whole “new year, new me” vibe applied to talent acquisition as well.

Despite what many people seem to think, December is actually a great time to advertise jobs!

During the Christmas season, talent acquisition teams will benefit from both significant increases in response rates and the low cost-per-application compared to other times throughout the year. So you don’t really want to let such a critical month slip through your fingers.

Keep in mind that January is one of the busiest months of the year. Which means, your adverts are probably going to get lost in the pile on job posting sites, and most likely get overlooked by top talent.

Another reason why December is a prime time to advertise your jobs is because there’s a tremendous opportunity for you to improve your employer brand for passive candidates. Since candidates aren’t as distracted as you may think, it’s best to boost your online presence and start posting your jobs on your career page and social media platforms. At the end of the day, it’s always a smart move to continue showcasing your employer brand messaging across all platforms.

If you’re looking to post a high volume of roles across various sites, it’s easy to lose track of what’s posted on your corporate site. But a hiring platform makes that easy.

A hiring platform like EVA-REC enables your talent acquisition team to cross post jobs across 2,000+ job boards, niche channels, and social media platforms with a single click. It’s also integrated with a broad range of free and paid job boards which will help you attract the biggest audience from all around the world. Not sure on which job boards to post your jobs? With our hiring platform you can receive channel recommendations based on the job requirements. All you’ve got to do is simply select the region, channel type, job category, industry, and job title. Afterwards, you’ll instantly get a list of channels that meet your sourcing needs.

As a result, this can help you net top talent; active and passive. And then these passive candidates will be ready to switch back to active status when January 1st comes.

Don’t leave things to the last minute

The same way we encourage you post jobs early in December, we also encourage you not to leave things to the last minute. Keep in mind that towards the end of the month, many employees might no longer be available, so plan accordingly. Don’t wait to the day before Christmas to follow up on a candidate with your talent acquisition team.
Instead, take an early and active approach.

Start by updating all your job description prior to posting them on your career page or other job posting sites. Make sure you’re not using any jargon, and all keywords are bias-free. Need an extra hand? A hiring platform like EVA-REC can help talent acquisition teams create job descriptions that are relevant, accurate and above all, bias-free. By simply providing the job title, the hiring platform will consequently provide all the skill-sets and keywords that are required for the job description.

After polishing your job descriptions, make sure your interview process is optimized. One of the easiest ways to impress prospective candidates is to dazzle them during the interview process. To accomplish that, the process itself needs to be super smooth and streamlined, and everyone in the talent acquisition team should know their role. So prior to the holiday season, take the time to sit with your team and discuss the ways you can fine-tune and enhance the interview process. Perhaps it’s through an award-winning hiring platform or by simply eliminating unnecessary tedious stages.

Do rely on a hiring platform to streamline collaboration

If your talent acquisition team aims to improve and optimize the recruitment process over the holiday season, then agility and flexibility are key. Instead of feeling caught in limbo during the holidays, a hiring platform enables you to stay on top of your game. No matter the season.

Whether your team is working remotely since the rise of Covid19 or specifically for the holiday season, it might be hard to communicate and collaborate with the team. Perhaps you’re struggling to set a clear timeline to speak, review resumes, or evaluate candidates. The most useful solution here is to rely on a hiring platform to streamline communication at all times – and not only during the holiday season.

A hiring platform like EVA-REC facilitates teamwork and enables talent acquisition teams to work together effortlessly. Where you can simply invite teammates to support you throughout the hiring process and specify their permissions on the platform. This way, in one place, teams can share feedback, comments, ratings, and engage in discussions that flow in real time. You can invite as many teammates as you wish, and even get feedback from other departments as well.
Which means, with more flexibility at hand, talent acquisition teams can be present for each other at all times and amplify recruiting efforts throughout the holiday season.

Don’t contact candidates on the big day

Needless to say, people are busy throughout the holidays. So don’t anticipate fast replies or pushing a bit too hard with the reminders. Especially on Christmas day!

As we previously mentioned, although not everyone celebrates Christmas, it’s still a public holiday for many. Which means, candidates are most likely unwinding or celebrating the day with their loved ones. Chances are, even if you decide to email candidates or remind them of their next interview date, your email will get pushed down in their inbox the next time they log in. And if you’re planning on sending that rejection email on one of the most joyful days of the year – don’t! Let the candidate enjoy the big day no matter the type of news you plan to share.

However, if contacting the candidate is necessary, and you already know the candidate is open to such communication, then opt to send a brief and straight to the point email.

Do spread some holiday cheer

It’s the most wonderful of the year!

It’s also a great time to infuse some holiday cheer into the office, and celebrate the year’s accomplishments. Try not to overload the talent acquisition team with irregular activities associated with the end of the year. Instead, pick a day to exchange Secret Santa gifts at the office, bring in holiday desserts, or wear Christmas-themed sweaters!
Whether you’re planning an office Christmas party, an outing, or a simple get-together at the office, play games, celebrate the holiday, and enjoy the last working day together. This will help talent acquisition teams unwind, reboot, and end the year on a high note. You can also wish candidates a happy holiday and make them feel special too!

Takeaways

Hiring this Christmas holiday shouldn’t be stressful. In fact, when carried out correctly, December can the one of the best (if not the best) months for candidates and recruiters alike.
With the right planning, software, and resources you’ll wrap up the year on a fantastic note. So be sure to post jobs early, organize everything in advance, reach out to passive candidates, leverage a hiring platform, contact candidates in the right time, and spread joy!

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