Today is the most depressing day of the year. Great start for a blog post, eh? Well, it’s not all doom and gloom. Yes, the festive period is done. Sad, forgotten Christmas trees are discarded to fester in the January rain. It’s cold. It’s miserable. Yet, for recruiters, this dark January cloud has a silver lining. So, chin up, read on, and discover 5 ways to beat Blue Monday…
1. Offer a Free Consultation
The day when candidates are most likely to be reassessing their career is the perfect time to get your agency’s brand out there. Those candidates are likely whiling away some time on social media, so target them with a free consultation, and help them to benchmark their salary against what they could be earning. “Broke after Christmas? No problem. Look at what you could be earning!”. This is a great way to offer your candidates value, and piggy back on the #bluemonday hashtags and trends too.
2. Run A Targeted Campaign
Consider what’s getting candidates down on Blue Monday. The lack of sun, the bleakness of the early morning commute, and the self-induced poverty that comes after a month of holidaying and excessive spending. Use these things to reach candidates with a relevant recruitment campaign. For example, if you’re working any international jobs, target candidates with tantalising images of foreign climes. Encourage candidates to think outside of their claustrophobic, cubicle confines, and let them glimpse the potential in a new job. You could also send out an email with a list of the best paid jobs you filled last year, and let them see any similar jobs you currently have open. Inspire them, and grab their attention by empathising with the issues that are most likely to be causing a Blue Monday. Let them shrug off the doom and gloom of an early January slump with ideas of new opportunities and new adventures.
3. Do a Deal
It’s not only candidates who are feeling the January blues. Think about your clients who are suffering too and send out relevant information. Provide them with a reason to use your recruitment services now. Consider offering them a ‘Blue Monday’ discount on all candidates interviewed this week to create a sense of urgency.
4. Retarget Candidates You Missed Two Years Ago
We all regret those candidates we missed. Blue Monday is an excellent chance to make amends. Look back through your database and retarget those golden candidates that got away two years ago. Use your expertise to seek out opportunities to reconnect with candidates you didn’t manage to place in the past. Find out what they’re up to now and discover if they’re interested in a new opportunity to beat the January blues and kick start the new year with an exciting, brand new job. They'll have a couple of years more experience, likely to be open for a chat, and you already know they're great candidates. So, grab your phone, and find out what they're up to now!
5. Do Something New
The January blues affect everyone, and whatever way you look at it you’re probably feeling some of the negativity yourself. Well, chin up, there’s plenty you can do about it. Instead of focusing on the same old, do something new. Consider a new social channel, or start a blog. Or, perhaps one of the best opportunities for successfully capitalising on a new trend – invest time and effort in video. This year, video will represent 74% of all internet traffic. Think outside of the box and consider some creative ways to use video to promote your brand or sell your clients' jobs.
So, look on the bright side. Blue Monday is but a day in the calendar. It’s only a state of mind. Don’t give in to the doom and gloom. Instead, embrace the potential. Focus on the fact that this is prime hunting time and take this opportunity to demonstrate to clients that you are always a reliable source of great talent, even on the bluest of Mondays.
