NAVIGATING A YEAR IN TALENT ACQUISITION:

IT’S SEASONAL!

BOUNTYJOBS.COM

WORLD’S LEADING RECRUITER ENGAGEMENT PLATFORMW P

Large volume of job postings,

final interviews being conducted –

hires need to be made before key

decision makers take off on

summer vacations!

Prioritize roles needing to be

filled sooner than others and get

those candidates in front of the

decision maker…fast.

NAVIGATING A YEAR IN TALENT ACQUISITION:

IT’S SEASONAL!

Budgets are final, headcounts are

approved, hiring is…on your marks,

get set, go! It's a clean slate in hiring -

decision makers are back in the office

and it's game on!

Get those interviews scheduled to get

a jump on recruiting against your

competitors. Continue conversations

with candidates that may have stalled

due to the holidays.

JAN-FEB

Job postings are on the decline, but

summer job seekers are serious and

ready to make the leap to their next

opportunity.

Prep for the craziness of Fall hiring

to stay ahead of your competition,

and take a closer look at resumes still

trickling in that you otherwise wouldn’t

have the time to review.

JUN-JUL-AUG

Retail and seasonal hiring is up but

overall hiring is down with more

openings and less candidates coming

in to fill them.

While key decision makers are traveling

for the holidays and the focus turns to

budget strategies for the upcoming

new year, plant seeds now with

potential candidates to hit the ground

running in early Q1.

NOV-DEC

MAR-APR-MAY

Job postings and hires are

buzzing as everyone is back in the

office from vacations and ready to

produce, produce, produce.

The end of the year is looming

as is that year’s budget – fill those

roles before year end, and before

the holidays hit.

SEPT-OCT

Seasonality in Talent Acquisition: Hurdle or an Advantage?

Most industries are seasonal, with ups and downs throughout the year and talent acquisition

is no exception. Most recruiting professionals are dealing with the same calendar highs and lows.

The difference between this being a hurdle or an advantage is how these industry happenings are

utilized…or not. We’ll segment out a year in hiring and go over the cyclical events impacting each

aspect of the timeline and how to apply it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

1

WHAT YOUARE EXPERIENCING

WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

WORLD’S LEADING RECRUITER ENGAGEMENT PLATFORM

New roles should be posted

by mid-January and the

interviewing process

should be in full-swing by

the end of the month.

Candidates that passed phone screens executed

in November and December can now transition

into first-round phone, in-person, or video

interviews as key decision makers are back in the

office, getting a jump on this hiring hotbed.

FEB

Get those interviews scheduled to get a jump on recruiting against your competitors. Continue conversations with candidates that may have stalled due to the holidays.

What You Can Do About It

Budgets are final, headcounts are approved hiring is…on your marks,

get set, go! It's a clean slate in hiring - decision makers

are back in the office and it's game on!

What YouAre Experiencing

Ah, the start of a new year. Filled with so

much promise, so much growth…and

change. This time of year has many looking

to find a new opportunity. It’s a fresh start!

(and December bonuses have been paid!)

Some will make a parallel leap to another

organization, others will completely

change their career path.

At this time of year, budgets are set.

Headcounts are approved. Hiring can begin

in earnest after a slowdown or complete

standstill over the winter holiday season.

Decision-makers are back in the office after

winter travels which can make hiring

decisions happen more quickly.

Folks leaving for new opportunities can start

a sort of hiring carousel – employees leave

for greener pastures, and new candidates

rise up to fill those vacancies. Some hiring

experts state that those looking for jobs early

in the year have a better chance of landing the

job as they are some of the first to connect

with employers at the start of the process.

At the beginning of the year the demand

for talent may outweigh the supply of

candidates. This could put the power in the

candidate’s court. While there is typically

a high volume of open roles posted at this

time, the majority of hires won’t be made

until late February or March. This could

hurt organizations that need to fill roles

left by retirees or those moving on to new

opportunities – if they haven’t prepared as

we’ve outlined later in the ‘November &

December’ section of this report.

PROS CONS

WHERE IT ALL STARTS:

JANUARY & FEBRUARYGrowth over

December 2017 canbe seen as nonfarm payroll employment increased by 200,000

in January 2018.

Employment continued to trend up in construction, food services, health care and manufacturing.1

KEY STAT

THE KEY TO YOURHIRING SUCCESS

JAN

2

THE HEAT IS ON:

MARCH, APRIL, MAYBureau of Labor

Statistics cites April as having the most jobs advertised and the

most hiring.

In addition, the Bureau finds that

hiring in April, May and June is double the

rate of December.2

3

Here’s where the rubber meets the road.

At this point not only are there a large

volume of job postings out there and

more folks are sniffing around for their

next opportunity, but the recruiting

processes you’ve started with potential

candidates late last year or a month or

so prior are coming into fruition. Offers

are being made and hopefully, accepted!

At this time, college students are looking

at summer internships – those looking

for full-time employment will have

already done so late last year to secure a

role upon graduation. These internships

may be a springboard for these

continuing students to be considered as

permanent employees in following years.

PROS

Not many red flags here, take advantage

of this ‘go time’

CONS

Prioritize roles needing to be filled sooner than others and get those candidates in front of the decision maker…fast.

What You Can Do About It

Large volume of job postings, final

interviews being conducted – hires need to be made

before key decision makers take off on summer vacations!

What YouAre Experiencing

THE KEY TO YOURHIRING SUCCESS

PRIORITIZEMost likely you will

be faced with an onslaught of resumes,

regardless of the low unemployment rate. Know the critical roles that needed to

be closed yesterday.

ORGANIZEBucket your open roles along with related

candidates – sort through those graduates, students, baby boomers, millennials.

Key industries seeing an upswing in this

time period include construction,

agriculture, tourism & hospitality,

shipping, leisure, and travel.

There is a sense of urgency now to get

roles filled before key decision makers

take off on their summer vacations.

MAR

APR

MAY

KEY STAT

HERE COMES THE SUN, BUT WHERE ARE THE HIRES?

JUNE, JULY, AUGUSTIn the last few

decades, the summer job has been disappearing.

In the summer of 1978, 60 percent

of teens were working or looking for work. Last summer, just 35 percent were.4

4

Stats say that most people quit during the

summer and are out there looking for their

next job opportunity. While the number of job

postings decreases in the summer, those that

are applying are typically serious candidates.

During this time talent acquisition pros may

be less pressed for time and have the ability

to take a longer look at candidates coming in.

PROS

On the flipside, those keeping their jobs are

probably on vacation and not looking for

new employment. And for those that you

have been speaking with and might be SO

CLOSE to making a final offer to…chances are

that key decision makers are on vacation.

When they’re not around, hiring moves even

slower... "Hiring seems to be done by

consensus more than any other decision,"

says Scott Testa, chief operating officer of

Mindbridge Software in Norristown,

Pennsylvania. "So most hiring decisions have

to be made when people are in the office."

CONS

Prep for the craziness of Fall hiring to stay ahead of your competition, and take a closer look at resumes still trickling in that you otherwise wouldn’t have the time to review.

What You Can Do About It

Job postings are on the decline, but

summer job seekers are serious and ready

to make the leap to their next

opportunity.

What YouAre Experiencing

A survey from SmartRecruiters found

that May, June, and July have the

largest volume of job seekers and is

therefore the most strategic time for

companies to hire.

"May, June, and July are the peak hiring

season, as candidates are looking to

start fresh in the springtime, after their

reviews, and companies are trying to get

a jump on hiring before the end of a year

when everything slows down," says

Jerome Ternynck, CEO of

SmartRecruiters.3

JUN

JUL

AUG

There are still hires to be

made during the summer

doldrums. Prepping for

the second ‘go time’ of

September and October will

ensure you are way ahead of the competition.

Massage that funnel.

THE KEY TO YOURHIRING SUCCESS

KEY STAT

Keep the momentum going.

It is imperative that these

fills are made before the

holiday slowdown,

err…season begins.

OCT

The end of the year is looming as is that year’s budget – fill those roles before year end, and before the holidays hit.

What You Can Do About It

Job postings and hires are buzzing as everyone is back in the office from vacations

and ready to produce, produce, produce.

What YouAre Experiencing

LEAVES MAY FALL BUT HIRING IS UP:

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER Hiring is typically so strong in September

that the U.S. economy posted the first job

loss in six years due to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 33,000 jobs were lost this month as the

hurricanes ripped through Texas,

Louisiana, Florida,and the Caribbean.5

THE KEY TO YOURHIRING SUCCESS

SEP

5

A rise in job postings is seen as key

decision makers return from vacation.

As well, the volume of hires increases

now that folks are back in the office

and ready to sign off on approvals.

As we are heading toward the end of

the year, there is a push in getting

hires in the door so as to take

advantage of the remaining budget

for the year.

Getting new hires in the door is

friendly to the budget, but also,

organizations want to get new folks in

and trained before the holiday season

mindset sets in. Speaking of holidays,

hiring for short-term seasonal work

springs into action now as industries

such as retail prep for the huge

shopping season ahead.

PROS

As with Springtime, not too many cons

here – get after it!

CONS

At this point, those planning on

graduating in the spring start looking for

jobs that may be available to them upon

graduation. This may mean landing a

full-time role spawning from the summer

internship they just completed or catching

the attention as a potential recruit from

companies homing in on fresh talent.

KEY STAT

Other than a few industries, hiring slows

way down during these holiday months

over the winter. Decision-makers are

away, off enjoying holiday festivities.

Rather than focusing on getting new hires

in the door, attention turns to year-end

business and forming budgets for the new

year. Recruiters may find themselves with

more openings, less candidates, and less

access to decision-makers to finalize hires

for any candidates that they do have.

While industries such as healthcare,

construction, and manufacturing added a

sizeable amount of jobs this past

December, even in a

strong economy

December is a tough

month for talent

acquisition as

the number of

jobs added proved

lower than forecasted.

Use this time to research,

network, and prepare.

Putting the wheels in

motion to get ahead come

January is of the utmost importance. Continue to build

relationships with potential candidates to ensure

consistent pipeline growth. Budgets begin and headcounts

may be approved in January, but the work to prep for that

starts now. Workforce planning is a must in this era of

extreme talent shortage. In order to hit the ground

running in January and February with the ample number of

jobs that will be posted, seeds must be planted well in

advance. Organize your pipeline of potential candidates

according to role types that may best suit them. Once

those jobs are posted, it’s go time and you’ll be ready.

DEC

While key decision makers are traveling for the holidays and the focus turns to budget strategies for the upcoming new year, plant seeds now with potential candidates to hit the ground running in early Q1.

What You Can Do About It

Retail and seasonal hiring is up but overall hiring is

down with more openings and less candidates coming

in to fill them.

What YouAre Experiencing

According to theBureau of Labor

Statistics, the U.S. added 148K jobs

in December 2017, lower than the 190K that was

estimated. The unemployment

rate at that time remained a

steady 4.1%.6

THE KEY TO YOURHIRING SUCCESS

NOV

6

Seasonal hiring abounds for a

variety of industries in this timeframe.

Those in retail may continue to bulk up

staff to handle further demand. Income

tax firms begin hiring in order to train

people for the upcoming tax season.

Employers have a sense of urgency to

fill some roles before December 31,

keeping recruiters busy.

PROS

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE:

NOVEMBER & DECEMBER

CONS

KEY STAT

ABC = ALWAYS BE CLOSINGRegardless what time of the year it may be in talent acquisition,

there is always an opportunity. Be it an opportunity to polish up

(always be grooming) that pipeline, to follow up with that stellar

candidate that you finally have a role for, to get the interview process

going, or to extend those offers and get new hires going, each timeframe

is suitable for effective action.

REFERENCES

1 https://www.bls.gov/ces/highlights012018.pdf

2 https://www.bls.gov/jlt/home.htm

3 https://www.cio.com/article/3066542/hiring/are-you-ready-for-peak-hiring-season.html

4 https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2017/06/disappearance-of-the-summer-job/529824/

5 http://money.cnn.com/2017/10/06/news/economy/september-jobs-report/index.html

6 https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/05/us-nonfarm-payrolls-december-2017.html

7

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KEY STAT

Third-party recruiting lends itself nicely to

that critical hire regardless of the time of year, but

especially in those hiring slumps.

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INDUSTRY SAVVY

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