In the bustle of the holidays, it’s easy to let hiring fall to the back burner. But now is not the time to let visions of sugar plums crowd out the reality of landing the perfect candidate for the open senior and executive roles in your organization.
It’s a common misconception that you can’t fill a vacancy or make progress toward hiring between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Whether you’re already in the middle of a search, or looking to make a move in Q1, there are simple, critical steps you can take now to challenge that old-school thinking, move your company forward, and avoid being left out in the cold.
Five actions to take in December to keep your hiring on track
1. Connect with a recruiter.
If you want to hire in January, you should be on the phone with me today. At Broadreach, a huge part of our work with clients is helping them shape the role they’re hiring for and advising them on ways to be a more compelling option for candidates to say “yes” to, and that is work you can start now.
2. Get your ducks in a row.
We can work fast when you know what you need and you’re ready to go. You’ll want to have your hiring processes and your team prepared well in advance of planning interviews. Every step of preparation may take longer during December, but candidates often make movement during the breathing room they have at the holidays, and you need to be ready to take advantage.
3. Compress your interview process.
If you regularly fill roles quickly in this hiring environment, you may not have much work to do here. But if you’ve lost out on top candidates because your process is too long, or asks too much of them, this is the time to refine how your team approaches things.
As a general rule, entry-level positions should be filled in no more than two rounds of interviews. For senior positions, there may be a need for 3–4 rounds of interviews. For C-suite positions the number of interviews may vary but even in these cases, each interview should have a distinct purpose and not feel redundant.
4. Know your salary range.
Standard salaries have changed drastically in the last year. If you’re hiring using comp data that is 18-24 months old, especially in high-growth fields, you’re going to let top talent slip through your fingers. December is a great month to reset your salary benchmarks and ensure you stay competitive. It’s our job to have a pulse on this information and we can help you here.
5. Prepare your team to make time interviewing.
The best way to make sure your hiring remains on track during the holidays is to stay nimble and encourage your teams to pitch in. A short investment of time on an “off” day, to make time for an interview, share feedback, or rank candidates could make their job a lot easier in the new year if your company nabs the right candidate before someone else does. Thanks to Covid, this has actually become much easier on everyone with the ubiquity of remote interviews.
A partner for every day of the year
In today’s hiring environment, you need an always-on partner. If you call us on Christmas Eve, we’ll pick the phone up. We get it done—that’s who we are.
This holiday season, give yourself the gift of the perfect employee. With your hard work, and our help, the holidays can be a productive time for sealing the deal and paving the way for movement in the new year. Call us today at 781-312-7272 to get started.