Hiring new employees during the holiday season can be more challenging than other times of the year, and there are several factors that you need to keep in mind before you rush the process and hire the wrong person. If you are looking for new employees during the holiday season, consider these factors first:
Beat the Holiday Rush
The time between Thanksgiving and New Years tends to be full of activities and festivities. If possible, try to look ahead with your hiring schedule so that you can take care of the interviewing and hiring process before the busy holiday season starts.
Of course, you can’t always predict when you will have the need to hire a new employee. So, if you need to hire during the busy holiday weeks, try to plan a few days of cushion time between the interviews and a major holiday. This buffer increases the chances that candidates will be able to come in for the interview, because they are less likely to be out of town for a family gathering.
Avoid Seasonal Employees
It is more common for people to pick up extra work during the holiday season with the intention of quitting the job a few months later. People need extra money to pay for Holiday gifts and festivities, which means they are sometimes looking for seasonal employment to get them through a few tight months. If you aren’t hiring for a seasonal job, then you need to consider the employee’s work history and their career goals, to determine if they intend to stay with the company for awhile or if they will be leaving after a few short months.
Most of the time, you don’t need to worry about seasonal employment if someone is looking to change from one full-time job to another. But, you might watch for warning signs such as someone who wants a swing or night shift and they are already working another full time job. Take some extra time to talk with them about their career goals, and make sure the position is in line with those goals.
Work with an Executive Recruiter
If you are trying to run your business and search/hire a new employee at the same time, you might be too busy to dedicate the time that is needed to find the right person for the job. Instead of stressing yourself out by adding another item to your to-do list, a better option is to let a recruitment professional handle your staffing needs.
Hiring a talent acquisition expert increases the likelihood that you will be able to connect with candidates who are an ideal match for the job opening. Many talented candidates typically found by recruiters are available to interview during the Holiday season. In addition, using a recruitment professional in finding a good match means that your company will typically have a better retention rate.
Here at Premier Search, we specialize in employee placement within the senior housing industry, with an emphasis in skilled nursing, assisted living and all areas of long term care.
Please contact us to learn more about the options that are available, so that you can quickly find good employees to fill your critical job openings: (800) 801-1400.
I am Bernie Reifkind, CEO and founder of Premier Search, Inc. I can be reached at 1(800) 801-1400 or email at ceo@premiersearch.com. I welcome your comments.
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