A Recruiter’s Guide to Preparing for Volume Hiring Season

If you’re a recruiter, you probably already know that there’s a definite seasonality to hiring, even for jobs that aren’t seasonal. However,  you might be surprised by new data on when companies hire the most — it’s now July, not January, that is the hottest time of the year for high volume hiring. 

So how can recruiters prepare for volume hiring season to ensure they’re making the right decisions when demand is at its peak? You simply need to have the right systems and tools in place to get great candidates and treat them well even when hiring volume is high — here’s what you need to know to prepare for an effective, efficient hiring season. 

Automate Processes Where Possible 

If there are still time-consuming and tedious manual tasks in your recruiting process, you must invest in automating those to free up time for more hands-on recruiting tasks. Only 5% of HR leaders in 2023 reported that they were currently using generative AI, which leaves a lot of opportunities for innovation and efficiency on the table. 

It’s also critical to automate communication with candidates where possible to improve their experience, like regularly updating them on their status and next steps so they’re always in the loop. High volume hiring isn’t an excuse to treat candidates poorly, in fact it becomes more critical as you need to make more successful offers to fill your openings. 

Leverage More Data and Analytics 

Data, when used strategically, can help you drive a better hiring process. It prevents you from making talent decisions based on hasty impressions during volume hiring season. Instead, you can use the data you already have on both candidates and employees to determine who would thrive in the role and who is likely to stay the longest as well. 

For example, adding in pre-hire assessments can help you evaluate candidates for both suitability and retention likelihood, making your hiring decisions faster as well as better informed. 

Streamline Everything You Can 

Candidates today expect a super-smooth application process, and get (understandably) frustrated when they’re required to fill in multiple forms with the same information or give the same answers in multiple interviews. These inefficiencies point to problems with your systems, and they also turn off many candidates in the early stages of the process, making your talent search harder. Be sure to go through the entire process from the candidate perspective, keeping an eye out for any and all inefficiencies, getting rid of them as soon as possible. 

Look to Unconventional Sources 

You don’t always need to conduct a fully brand-new search to unearth a mass of great candidates — you might already have their information in your files. Using candidates who previously applied and were strong contenders but ultimately weren’t the right fit for that role at that time allows you to tap a source of talent that is already familiar with you. 

Also, if there are roles you’re struggling to fill externally, consider using more lateral moves to fill them with internal candidates who are a good fit and ready for something new. The roles they’re coming from may be easier to fill externally, so you’ve just helped two people advance in their careers at one time. 

Think Proactively 

Being proactive about hiring also means continuing activities year-round that improve your employer brand and deepen your talent pools. That way, you’re not starting from scratch every time hiring season comes around and you have a strong foundation for year-round hiring. By nailing down your HR tech stack and increasing efficiencies with automation before you need to start hiring for multiple open roles at once, you give yourself and your team a valuable head start. 

If you’re looking for an all-in-one talent acquisition platform that can help you source, evaluate, and assess candidates quickly and effectively, sign up for a Cangrade demo today.