Make Headway in the New Year with January Recruiting

by: Sophia Gimenez, PhD

The ball dropping on 2022 is the perfect time for you to build out a rockstar team. While some perceive the months of November and December to be a holiday lull, the festive season primes candidates to envision next steps in the new year, their interest propelled by higher engagement time with networking, more free time to connect, and a focus on end-of-year reflections. With their projects wrapping up and their year-end bonuses cashing out, the fresh start of the new year is the often the moment when star candidates survey the possibilities for new opportunities.

There are ways to make the most of a talent pool energized by a forward-thinking mindset ushered in by the beginning of another trip around the sun:

1. Build Out Long-Term Goals
2. Set Performance Goals

1. Build Out Long-Term Goals

Before the champagne bottles pop on New Year’s Eve, dedicate the twilight of 2021 to charting out a budget blueprint and strategizing project timelines. Laying this groundwork will assist in anticipating a headcount of hiring needs and will maximize recruitment firms’ efforts in zeroing in on qualified candidates for niche roles. With January typically bringing a spike in candidates actively searching for new opportunities, as well as an untapped pool of fall semester graduates hitting the market, strike while the iron is hot with the expertise of recruitment firms like ECA. To fill those talent lacunas and hit your project targets for 2022, ECA provides a suite of search strategies, screenings, and interview support that maximize the exposure and reach of your talent hunt during the high seasons for recruiting. Leverage New Year’s resolutions trending in the first few weeks of the new year by asking candidates about long term goals during interviews and how their goals align with yours. This will also demonstrate a culture of growth and development that attracts candidates whose career goals match with yours. ECA helps develop these synergizing approaches to talent-matching, personally tailored to your search needs.

2. Set Performance Goals

Optimizing the search for committed talent early in the year is equally critical, as talent retention is key to fulfilling end objectives set out long term. ECA is equipped to screen for candidates who will bring commitment to your company. One effective tool implemented early on the search cycle by ECA is aligning with you on setting defined performance goals in the job description. When candidates know early on what you’re looking for, they can better imagine a long-term commitment. Promoting career paths and timelines upfront motivates talent to achieve ongoing performance goals, encouraging talent to grow and learn with you.