Why Summer Hiring Is a Great Idea for Your Business
by Roberta Matuson, Staples Contributing Writer
Think about the last hire you made. How long did it take to recruit and train the new employee? If you are like most small business owners, it probably took much longer than you expected. This summer, hiring should be your focus — these warm, and less hectic summer days are the perfect time to shorten the hiring process so you can fall right back into full business mode come September.
Summer Hiring Gives You a Jump on the Competition
While other businesses are kicking back and taking vacations, you can take this opportunity to surge forward. Hiring tends to slow down and, in some cases, comes to a screaming halt once the mercury rises above 80 degrees. That’s exactly why summer is the perfect time to ramp up your recruitment efforts. You can have your pick of the best employees before other employers even know these people are in the market.
The Best Never Rest
Some people mistakenly believe the entire world stops job hunting during the summer. That may be true for the slackers; however, the best never stop looking. These candidates understand it’s easier to stand out in a crowded field when the crowd dissipates. This means you’ll improve your ability to hire the best by taking action now.
Time to Fully Train New Personnel
You can avoid the stress that comes with having little time to bring new hires up to speed by giving yourself a bit more ramp-up time for training. By doing so, you will avoid having to throw people into situations where they are likely to fail or, even worse, disappoint long-term customers who then decide to take their business elsewhere. Take advantage of this time to fully train your new people so they are ready to provide the high levels of service your customers have come to expect.
Improving the Quality of Your Hires
It’s difficult to find the time to carefully screen candidates and interview them properly when you are in the heat of your busy season. So, in haste, business owners and hiring managers offer jobs to people who on the surface appear to be suitable for the job, whether they are or not. Regrets often set in soon thereafter. The next several months are then spent trying to figure out how to properly train the employee or start the search all over again.
Hiring the right people is critical for your small business’s success. This requires investing uninterrupted time to properly assess candidates. Doing so during the slower months will give you some leeway to continue to look for the right person — someone who will work hard and grow with your company.
Now that we've established the summer is the perfect time to hire, try out these strategies for helping candidates find you.
- Fire Up the Barbecue: The best way to find good candidates is through people you know. Fire up the barbecue and invite neighbors and friends to come by for a gathering. Casually mention to your guests that you’re hiring and ask them to call you at the office if they or someone they know is searching for a job.
- Look in Your Own Backyard: If you are among the many businesses that employ interns and summer hires, then you may have some great potential candidates right down the hall. Don’t assume everyone will be packing their bags come late August to go back to school. Situations change, and that great summer hire may have just transferred to a college located in your town. Ask your interns and summer hires if they are seeking full-time work.
- Use Your Social Network: News of terrific job openings spread like wildfire on social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Spread the word through your social network to help pull talent toward you. And while you are at it, offer up a hiring bonus to the person who sends the right candidate your way.
It won’t be long until the lull of summer has passed and customers are knocking on your door as the rest of the world gets back to business. And you’ll be able to meet their needs if you focus now on getting the right candidates in the door.