It is no secret that the New Year is the busiest time of the year for the majority of the recruitment world – you only have to Google search ‘best time of year to find a new job’ and you’ll instantly find a number of supporting documents on page 1 to back this fact – http://www.executivesonline.co.uk/en/blog/2014/07/31/data-reveal-best-time-year-hire-find-job/.
Last year was particularly busy for us at Brand; we placed record numbers of marketers into new roles throughout 2015, and with no sign of the market slowing down as we move into 2016, this month is set to be our busiest January to date!
As candidates start to think about new opportunities and hiring managers look to grow their teams, I thought it would be appropriate to provide some simple but crucial advice for both candidates and hiring managers when looking for a hassle free job hunt or recruitment process in the New Year…
Top 5 tips for candidates in 2016
- New Year, new CV!
Just like you may be thinking of a new health kick or gym membership this January, don’t avoid the same service for your CV… After all this is what reaches the eyes of hiring managers before you physically do. (Of course, feel free to hit the gym in the meantime so you are in the best shape when you do interview!)
- Be proactive
Don’t just sit and wait for jobs to reach you… Whilst you may be receiving calls from recruiters, there are a lot of companies that recruit directly so don’t be afraid to knock on a few doors!
- Don’t hold out for one role
I am not saying trail through the job boards and apply for any old job, but do apply for any roles that are suitable and of interest to you. Put yourself out there and try to attend several interviews before making your final decision. This way you will have explored the market and will hopefully be in a position to make a well-rounded and educated decision.
4. Stay ahead of your competition
It seems simple but never underestimate your interview preparation, we at Brand strongly advise the following https://www.brandrecruitment.co.uk/candidates/interview-tips/.
- Avoid delays when offered a new role
A lot of candidates commonly feel they can hold off any form of final decision in hope of another opportunity that may or may not be round the corner. We see a lot of hiring managers lose confidence with the offered candidate or even withdraw offers all together simply because the candidate delays their decision.
Top 5 tips for employers in 2016
- Use a specialist agency
Whether it’s marketing, IT, accountancy, teaching etc. – using a specialist recruiter should ultimately save you time and give you access to the more suitable and best calibre candidates that you so desire.
- Start the recruitment process early
Starting the recruitment process earlier will help to generate the strongest interest… If you have got a new opening in the team, don’t delay your search. Whether it’s a call to your recruiter or putting your own advert out… The earlier you act the sooner you will have hired!
- Shortlist and interview sooner rather than later
This way you will avoid losing out on the best candidates. A very common mistake we see from hiring managers is waiting too long to interview candidates…As much as hiring managers don’t want to admit it, we are currently in a very candidate led market – my advice is always: if you like a candidate do not wait around – arrange the interview and meet them before someone else does!
- Be flexible when arranging interviews
Try to avoid set dates. We often see a lot of clients lose out on their preferred candidate because of this… Most senior or stronger candidates are in demand with busy work schedules, so if possible provide both in and out of hours time slots across a range of dates.
- Make appropriate and competitive offers
Candidates in general look for a new role because they want some form of promotion/career advancement… Results from our 2015 Salary Survey showed that 42% of people gave career advancement as their main reason for leaving their current role, the 2nd most common reason for candidates leaving a role was due to salary which was at 20%.https://www.brandrecruitment.co.uk/marketing-salary-surveys-books/2015/PDF2015.pdf
Happy New Year - I wish you all a successful and hopefully stress-free job hunt or candidate search in 2016!
Any comments or other top tips from either a candidate or hiring manager’s point of view would be welcomed...