How can I prepare for recruitment in the new year?

The new year is one of the prime times for recruitment, especially towards the end of January as job seekers renew their efforts to find a new opportunity. The other time, is of course, September when graduates come into the market eager to find employment.

Here are some tips for running a successful recruitment campaign:

Talent first?
Good candidates are valuable and hard to come by in any economic climate. So whilst you’re planning for the new year, a wise strategy is to make recruiting for talent an ongoing activity. This way your company has its finger on the pulse all year round, but perhaps with your major push in the new year. Have a clear plan that is carefully thought through and written down in a strategy paper. Plan and develop a flow chart with clear objectives and desired results.

Hone your job descriptions
A prime requirement is to have, not just adequate job descriptions for your campaign, but excellent, detailed and well written job descriptions that clearly define your needs, the role and the qualities of the people required. This enables you to make objective selection decisions, rather than having to continually rely on ‘gut feelings’.

Timing
Timing is everything but so is taking a look at your competitors’ activities. Are they recruiting at the same time in a big way? This needn’t be a bad thing as your brand may piggy back on their efforts, but it may not be a good thing either. You need to make sure you are at least aware of what your rivals are doing and plan accordingly.

And finally…
A multi-layered recruitment campaign gives you more chance of success, and the ability to evaluate which routes are providing the best results.

As with any campaign, you need to build awareness and good news about your organisation to attract good people. The recruitment and hiring of staff is a continual process that does not end with a job interview. Having a consistent plan that incorporates staff development will improve your recruitment outcomes.