The Summer Hiring Blues

Say you’re in the midst of interviewing candidates and the process is moving along to the point where you’ve been able to narrow the scope to a selected few. But your vacation starts tomorrow and you’re thinking that everything can be put on hold until you return, including candidates. Here’s where time becomes your enemy and kills the deal. Recruitment statistics show that top performers don’t wait. When put on hold in the late stages of the interview process, their interest level in your position drops by 10% per day.

I always stress to clients that the Shaquille O’Neal’s of the world are only in the job market for a short time and the only way to capture them is through a speedy hiring process. So what should you do if summer gets in the way? From my perspective, you have 3 choices:

  • 1. Keep moving the process along and make
    the final decision before leaving for your scheduled activity/vacation.
  • 2. Let someone else move the process along
    during your absence but stay in touch to help close the candidate.
  • 3. Do nothing and by the time you return,
    start the whole two month hiring process over again. You probably will have lost your candidate to your competition.

Remember, there’s no such thing as a patient candidate so my best advice to you is…enjoy the weather, enjoy your vacation, enjoy the summer but don’t let your enjoyment delay the hiring process. The summer hiring blues can be a very sad song to sing.

Dan Charney, Director of Material Handling & Packaging
Email questions to dan@directrecruiters.com
216-464-5570 x110