Just like the weather turns with each season, so do recruitment trends. Employment has always been cyclical, as has industry, so it stands to reason that recruiting is easier or harder depending on the month and circumstances.
For example, industries such as hospitality have a higher need in the summertime, and their hiring may be up to 2 times higher than their winter lows. It’s not just seasonal changes that affect recruitment; factors such as graduation dates and company budgets also impact the process.
Here are some hiring patterns that you should know about that will help you develop your recruiting strategy.
Holiday Season Recruiting Trends
Many job seekers believe that the holidays are a terrible time to look for a job. It’s a misconception that the only industry hiring during November and December is retail. However, this myth has been busted.
While many retailers amp up their recruiting efforts in time for the holiday season, other industries are still hiring. Last year almost every industry saw positive growth after a challenging year, including over 161,000 new jobs in professional and business services, a category that includes technical and management positions.
New Year, New Budget
After the holidays, things change once again. January often marks new budgets for recruitment as well as financial preparation for tax season. While many experts today are talking about “The Great Resignation,” meaning more workers are leaving jobs to pursue new careers in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, companies are looking for top talent.
January is a busy time for financial professionals, accountants, and tax experts, but they’re not the only people being hired. The beginning of the year tends to be an uninterrupted time to search for and find a new job. For companies, that means top talent is eager and available.
Springtime for Graduates
One thing that remains constant, even if circumstances shift, is the flood of college graduates in the spring. And companies would do well to anticipate this and begin recruitment efforts for so-to-be graduates entering the workforce after college.
Even in 2020, when the graduating class entered the worst job market since the great depression, it demonstrated a large pool of potential applicants for companies willing to take the leap. As things begin to recover, this trend should be at the top of any company’s hiring strategy in the springtime.
Summer is Hot for Hospitality
It’s not surprising that the most significant trend in the summertime is in hospitality. Especially after a non-existent tourist season throughout the summer of 2020, vacations were on the rise in 2021, which meant hospitality companies were in desperate need of new talent.
An exciting twist, however, can mean benefits for other industries. Hospitality is among the sectors most affected by The Great Resignation. Hiring for potential and choosing candidates with good transferable skills can help you find great talent for any industry in the summertime. And providing access to upskilling and reskilling will increase retention and productivity.
Retooling in the Fall
Fall is the next most effective time, after winter, to conduct hiring. People are back from summer vacation, and managers have more time for reviewing resumes and interviewing.
And one thing to consider that’s becoming the norm in workplaces across the country is the need for good remote management and hiring options.
Between September and November, you can also focus on retention and employee appreciation to ensure that you have a strong workforce throughout the winter and into the following year. And it’s a good time to invest in technology to make hiring more manageable, including AI and talent intelligence.
Conclusion: Planning for Seasonal Trends Helps Your Recruitment Strategy
Whether you’re hiring entry-level or experienced employees, knowing your investment has been adequately vetted will give you an advantage. You can focus on onboarding, upskilling, or other aspects of employee engagement.
Censia offers Talent Intelligence to give you the information you need to make quality decisions about incoming employees.
