Fall has begun and most of us are thinking about apples, pumpkin picking, Halloween and beautiful leaves. However, Autumn is a short season therefore now is the time to work on a solid recruitment strategy for the slower Winter season so that you aren't left out in the cold.
Winter is a tough time for companies to bring in new candidates. There are seasonal factors like storms and relocating can pose unique challenges. With that in mind, here are some of the Winter recruitment ideas we’ve use in the past as highly successful campaigns for our clients.
Vacations
Hard workers in all industries would find a free vacation desperately appealing. In the past, we have run campaigns promoting a sign-on benefit of a company-paid vacation in order to attract top-tier talent.
Per-Diem / Locum Tenens Options
Each Fall, people at all levels and professions scramble to start saving money to buy holiday gifts. This is a perfect time to look for per-diem (depending on your recruitment area) candidates who want a supplemental job. Holiday or seasonal help that can be scheduled to the needs of the candidate is always a successful initiative to launch prior to major holidays.
Awareness Campaigns
Though the typical thing to do in winter (at least in New England) is to prepare, winter itself can be a selling point to candidates. For instance, if your company is located near a prime ski destination, it’s time to start generating content that would attract candidates who enjoy skiing. For instance, an outdoor adventure or top ski resorts e-book might be just the piece that would get the attention of the best possible candidates.
*Pro-tip: You can run awareness campaigns for all seasons, but making sure they are hitting your ideal candidate persona is key. This is where the concept of inbound recruitment marketing shines.
Retention Campaigns
One detail that seems to fall by the wayside throughout all seasons is the value of retention. Winter is quite possibly the worst time to lose your talented staff. Check in with them, reward them and ask them for their feedback to ensure that you maintain the level of excellence you’ve already established.
*Pro-tip: If your employees are happy with their work lives, you can launch a workplace culture campaign via social media to entice new talent. In addition, happy employees are a great place to start when it comes to instituting a high-functioning employee referral program.
On-site, Tailored, Seasonal Events
As stated previously, Winter can be a selling point! In the past, we’ve run campaigns for a "High Achiever Weekend" that pulled in strong candidates from top schools. The weekend was designed to treat them to a weekend getaway that educated them on our client’s offerings. Pieces of this event included meetings with executives, a free hotel stay, free transportation, Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and an interview. The event allowed recruiters to acquire talent early and helped new graduates find great jobs. Win, win!
This winter, consider planning an event that centers around the season and your high volume needs.
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