The Fourth Quarter Recruitment Sprint - We are almost in the end zone.

It’s game time, and Q4 is right around the corner. The ancient myth that the fourth quarter of the year is a terrible time of year to look for a job is just that - a myth. With fiscal years’ ending, or in some cases just starting, the rush is on to recruit top talent. If you are thinking about waiting until the new year to start looking, or to start recruiting - here is a breakdown of what to expect the next month to the end of the year to look like. It’s time to get real.

It’s actually now a sprint - not a marathon.?

Often there is a perception that the end of the year is a terrible time to be looking for a job - whether it’s holidays, fiscals ending, waiting for bonuses or insert other excuse here - candidates often think they will wait until January for the “new year new me” hype. The opposite is actually true. The end of the year is a terrific time to be looking for a job. Whether you are a candidate, or a hiring manager - the best time of the year to be looking for a job, or to be recruiting is the last quarter. This sprint begins October 1 - when companies are reviewing their job reqs and hiring managers are feeling the pressure to fill essential roles. The risk is now at stake that if they do not fill the roles they currently have open - they could potentially lose that budget to another department or experience the bashlack of having a job req open for too long.?

As a candidate how do you prepare??

If you are on the verge of your job search, or even just putting your ear to the ground - October is a great time to start doing your diligence on the types of companies and roles you’d be interested in. Spark up your resume, attend a few networking events, and update your LinkedIn. Did you know - that anytime you update your LinkedIn, even if it’s for something minor, you have now automatically placed yourself at the top of searches for recruiters. Recruiters often have specific LinkedIn methodical searches and higher accesses in place - so notifications for certain profiles get alerted to their recruitment efforts. Also having all your skills, speaking engagements, languages you work with, programs and softwares and other keywords will also increase your odds to show up in these searches.

Additionally creating a list of companies that have sparked your attention will allow you to focus on one specific area. Maybe it’s AI for Good, or perhaps you are interested in equitable non-profit software - whatever your interest is create a list of companies that are doing this interest. I’ve often compared it to when a realtor suggests you focus on one or two areas of interest to purchase a home or office- rather than say, I’d love to live anywhere in the 50 states. Developing a target industry market and company list of interest will allow you to have a more focused and productive search.?

Once this list has been created, other than sharing with your trusted recruiter ( *plug) - I’d also suggest reaching out to anyone you know who works at these companies directly. Set up coffee meet-ups, grab a brew, or just set up a call and ask them simply how they like working there. Have these conversations prior to applying to the company - that way in the event there is some sort of employee incentive they will directly refer you AND that gets you to the top of the application list, usually.?

And sharing this target company list with your preferred recruiter also allows us to take a look at the list and immediately tell you whether we can be of help to you, or whether it’s worth taking a look at these companies on your own. An example I always give is that I had a candidate last year who provided me with his target list, it was 5 companies in San Diego - and one of the companies I had a close relationship with and an existing contract with the CTO. I picked up the phone and called her, and she told me she’d love to learn more about this candidate. A week later the two met, and a week after that the job offer was on the table. This all happened in November. And yes there was Thanksgiving and other things to consider - but this is just an example of how quickly a very interested hiring manager will move for a candidate at the end of the quarter. I’m happy to say this match has remained strong and my engineering candidate is already up for a promotion.?

Lesson is - as it is in football or any other sport - the fourth quarter is the only one that matters. It is the game changer, and the decider. So start prepping for the next quarter now.?

As a hiring manager, how do I prepare?

I’m not in the business of telling a hiring manager how to do their job - but at the same time I do appreciate an open conversation on how to efficiently and effectively hire top candidates, especially when the year end is approaching. Your only role is not just that of a hiring manager, you have other obligations, a ton of meetings, most likely travel now, and the management of a team you are trying to grow at the same time. That’s a lot - we get it. As a recruiter we usually just remind you that the end of the year is the perfect time to focus on your open reqs - and to define what a successful hire means to you.?

We all run the risk of not filling our job req in the last quarter - and having finance and HR re-access the needs of the organization, meaning that you run the risk of losing the role altogether. Sometimes it’s perceived as “ well their department has functioned 3 months without this hire, this budget may be better allocated somewhere else”. This isn’t just a threat to your department, it’s the reality of the perception from senior management - meanwhile your team is begging you to bring on someone else, and all this means is the focus needs to be shifted and prioritized to filling this role. Again, not looking to tell any hiring manager out there how to do their job - but if the mindset is focused to “I will find my rockstar this month”, from “Oh I’ll just do it next month” then your open req will be filled before you know it.?

Another shameless plug - and reality - is this might be a good time to consider working closely with a recruiter who knows your business and hiring needs. If you have a dedicated corporate recruiter or you have the opportunity to work with a specialized agency - taking some time, even if it’s just an hour or two, to meet with the hiring recruiter and describing your team’s needs and ideal candidates - not just the job req checklist but the description for the ideal overall fit, your search may become more successful. Then as a hiring manager allocating specific hours each week for interviews, resume reviews and next steps will go a lot further this time of year rather than the other way around. All these steps will allow your top candidates to get to you directly, faster and provide a more effective recruitment experience - so that the rockstars will shine, and they will also see your company as their perfect fit.?

Whether the approaching fourth quarter will allow for your goal to find the top hiring manager, top role and top company to work for, or to hire top talent - the end goal is the same. To create a successful recruitment process where everyone finds their match. This time of year is the perfect time to set some personal and professional goals in place - and to prepare yourself for the end of the year recruitment cycle, which could lead to the best decision you’ve ever made.