It’s peak holiday season and it’s likely that a lot of the decision makers in a business will take a break. This can mean that the typical recruitment cycle of 4-6 weeks gets elongated which can pose a number of hiring challenges for employers.
What are the challenges?
- Applications during these months remain high, proven by recent CV Library data that shows UK job applications are up this summer, with a 1.1% increase recorded in July. However, companies may not have the internal capacity to deal with all the applications and interviewing.
- The process may take much longer than usual so candidates can potentially lose interest in the role or be offered another opportunity. This means a higher likelihood of candidate interview & offer back outs, making securing best talent much more difficult.
How can you mitigate this?
Businesses need to adapt their recruitment processes to be more efficient and flexible during the summer periods:
- Employers should plan a series of interviews into as short a timescale as possible, ideally into one day, to avoid the complexity of scheduling multiple meetings.
- Hiring managers could be substituted with other staff on the hiring team to ensure the process retains momentum. For example, if the Head of HR normally does all final stage interviews but they are on holiday, it’s worth considering who else in the team can carry out these tasks and training them up on interview practises in advance.
- Maintaining good communication is key, especially when it comes to scheduling time-sensitive interviews or making offers. A specialist recruiter can assist with this as they will be the main point of contact if hiring managers are away and can keep candidates engaged and interested in the role.
- Employers could look to introduce interim professionals to plug any urgent gaps- contract employees can hit the ground running to cover holidays, or long periods of absence.
- If using an external recruiter, hiring team must take full advantage of the service they offer – make them integral to your process, get them to pre-screen candidates, reference check and potentially carry out all 1st stage interviews on your behalf to expedite your hiring.
If you require support with your Summer hiring efforts, get in touch with one of our experts on 0161 825 0825 or find out how we can help you here: www.castuk.com/recuitment-solutions
