The holiday season is anything but slow for startups. As founders find themselves balancing social obligations and festivities with the need finish Q4 on a high note and plan for Q1, they can begin to view December as a juggling act that doesn’t leave them quite as rested as they hoped to be heading into January.
Amidst the holiday busyness, young companies often fail to seize the incredible New Year opportunity to recruit new talent.
Early January is a moment when we both make and attempt to start following through on resolutions, many of which are career-related. I have people talk to me more about their work during this time of year, reflecting on everything from, “Am I advancing in my career fast enough?” to, “Is the job I’m working in now the one I see myself in at the end of the year?” It’s no wonder that LinkedIn’s Job Slots traffic is up 250% in January and February.
The New Year offers startups a rare opportunity to court potential employees who have not founded a company themselves, but are eager to work for a fast-growing organization. While adding another item to year-end to-do lists might seem overwhelming, here’s some advice on how entrepreneurs can fit recruiting for 2016 into their year-end activities.
Make the most of holiday parties
December often translates into a countless number of social gatherings. As a startup founder, you have to attend parties hosted by friends, family and professional contacts. Some founders may see the abundance of festivities as distracting, but these events offer a great opportunity to meet potential employees.
When you start speaking with someone at a holiday party, whether it’s an old friend or a new contact, ask them about what they’re doing and pay close attention to their response. If you think the person might be a good fit for your startup, don’t just stick their business card into your wallet and forget about them. Send a personalized note the day after the event saying how great it was to meet them, and ask if they’d like to catch up in the New Year.
Check your (recruiting) lists twice
Entrepreneurs often look at the last week of the year as one of the few times when little if any real business can get done. While it’s certainly a great moment to recharge your batteries, you can also use some of this time to get recruiting lists ready for Q1.
If you haven’t already, write down the potential positions you’d like to fill in 2016. Then, go through your LinkedIn network, as well as the stack of cards from people you’ve met at holiday parties, and identify the top 30-50 candidates you’d like to contact to for these positions.
Once you have your lists set, start reaching out via email or LinkedIn. The last week of December is a great time to contact people you’d like to meet with. Many are still checking email, even if they’re officially taking time off.
Personalize online outreach with New Year’s themed notes
There are endless tips on best practices for reaching out to prospective candidates, and we won’t get into all of them here. At the start of the New Year, founders should focus on a couple of areas that have the highest impact – personalization and clarity.
With limited time or resources, entrepreneurs might be tempted to do an email blast with the same “job opportunity” form notes. This is a terrible idea. Much like every interaction you have with prospective customers should be tailored and personalized, every interaction you have with someone you will potentially hire should involve the same attention to detail.
Focus on the candidate’s New Year’s goals
Don’t just jump right into the position you’re hiring for immediately after you get on the phone with a candidate. Ask how their holidays were, say that you’d like to tell them a little bit more about you and the company, and find out what they’re looking for in a career in 2016.
Taking the time to set the stage for the conversation not only helps you make a stronger connection, but also allows you to make a more convincing pitch about the open position at the end of the call. For instance, if the person tells you they’re looking for an opportunity to manage a larger group of people, and they’ve been disappointed with management opportunities at their existing position, you can focus more on the management aspect of the job you’re trying to fill.
Move quickly (you don’t have all year)
If you’re interested in a candidate after the call, don’t hesitate. Set next steps on the phone or immediately after to continue the interview process. High quality employees will likely get a lot of requests for interviews around the New Year, and your startup might not be the only one they’re talking to.
More often than not, hiring great startup teams translates into great business results. Entrepreneurs who make a focused recruiting effort in January can get a leg up on the competition, and grow their businesses more quickly and effectively in the New Year.
Personalize online outreach with New Year’s themed notes
There are endless tips on best practices for reaching out to prospective candidates, and we won’t get into all of them here. At the start of the New Year, founders should focus on a couple of areas that have the highest impact – personalization and clarity.
With limited time or resources, entrepreneurs might be tempted to do an email blast with the same “job opportunity” form notes. This is a terrible idea. Much like every interaction you have with prospective customers should be tailored and personalized, every interaction you have with someone you will potentially hire should involve the same attention to detail.
Source: forbes.com