5 Ways to Beat the Holiday Season Slump and Get Responses from Cleared Candidates

Which season is worst for recruiting? As we get closer to the holiday season, recruiters may be worrying about their response rates from candidates as we enter fall, Thanksgiving, and holiday months this winter. While some may argue that kids home from school may make summer a tough time for hiring, I’d argue that the next few are going to be even more difficult to catch a secret squirrel.

HOW TO IMPROVE RESPONSE RATES FROM CANDIDATES OVER THE HOLIDAYS

While it is a slower season ahead, there are some things you can do to improve your responses.

1. Send a carrot.

Even if you are trying to hire this candidate, include an incentive to help that candidate for the future, but more so make them respond to you. A great resource to send is our Security Clearance Compensation Report and show candidates that you care about their needs by saying “Here is a resource to help you negotiate a true current market salary (perhaps with us!).”

2. Include some humor.

Poke fun at yourself and the current state of the hiring market by showing them you understand your role and their power. Something like, “You probably get a million of these messages a day,” or “Don’t hate me if I reach out again and again – I’m a persistent recruiter!” can add some light-hearted humor that breaks up the monotony of recruiters flooding their inbox.

3. Stay organized and track your messages.

If you find that some types of messages just aren’t working, switch up your tactic or strategy. Better yet, ask another fellow recruiter on your team to try reaching out to really qualified candidates. Switching up requisitions among your team internally may allow you to get better traction.

4. Use different communication avenues.

Some candidates just don’t check their LinkedIn over the holidays. Reach out via email, text, phone call, or any other contact info you have.

5. Send a holiday meme.

Across the board, people find memes pretty funny. And popular culture has shown us that you can turn any current event into one. Over the holidays if you aren’t getting a response from candidates about a job you are trying to fill, send a meme about eating too much stuffing, and you are likely to get an LOL back at least.