The summer season is still in full swing and it often brings thoughts of relaxation, vacations, and a slower pace of life. But for recruiters, it can also mean quieter months with fewer active candidates in the job market. While this lull in activity might seem like a setback, it presents a golden opportunity to lay the groundwork for a successful Q4. In fact, leveraging this downtime effectively can give you a significant advantage over competitors who are caught off guard by the sudden surge in demand. Did you know that 57% of retailers see an increase in sales in the last quarter of the year?
By proactively implementing these tactics, you can position yourself for a seamless transition into the busy hiring season ahead. From building talent pipelines to refining your personal brand, we'll delve into the key steps you can take to stay ahead of the curve and secure the top talent!
So, let's dive in and discover how you can make the most of the quieter summer months to set yourself up for a triumphant Q4!
Focus on business development and networking
During quieter periods, focus on expanding your network and building relationships with key prospects. Attend industry events, conferences, and virtual meetups to connect with potential clients, hiring managers, and other professionals. Actively engage in conversations, share industry insights, and demonstrate your expertise. Building strong relationships during downtime can lead to valuable partnerships and business opportunities when things pick up again in Q4.
Content marketing and thought leadership
Create and share valuable content using your company's blog and social media platforms. Position yourself and your agency as thought leaders in the recruitment space. Content marketing not only helps attract potential candidates and clients but also strengthens your brand reputation and credibility. Let them know you are an expert in your niche so they want to work with you!
Create or update your referral scheme
Launch or revamp your referral program during slower months. A lot of my best candidates came through referrals - and what better way to encourage this than through incentives and rewards? You can use cash or voucher rewards for those who refer someone you go on to place successfully. There are multiple ways you can structure this so make sure you do some research about what works best for your niche. If you are a perm recruiter, you may offer a reward once you have successfully placed someone that passes their probation with a client – and if you are doing temp recruitment, they could be rewarded as soon as that candidate has been placed successfully in a booking.
Build your personal brand
Did you know that 82% of candidates consider employer’s branding before even applying for a role? Remember that building a personal brand takes time and consistent effort so the quieter months are a great time to build this up! Focus on delivering value, engaging with your audience, and showcasing your expertise to gradually strengthen your personal brand as a recruiter.
Using the right social media platforms is key here- there is no point in building up your brand on LinkedIn if your target audience spends their time on a completely different platform! Mix up your content and experiment with blogs, videos, and sharing industry news.
When building your personal brand be sure to highlight what makes you stand out from your competitors. A great way to do this is to share client and candidate testimonials. Having a strong personal brand will attract top talent and help you bring on new clients as they will see you as an expert in your niche!
Nurture your Talent Pools
A lot of people go on holiday and reflect on their current role and use the downtime to consider if they are happy in their current role. Capitalise on their holiday blues when they return to work! A good CRM will enable you to segment your database and build targeted pools of candidates that you can easily nurture with targeted job alerts and show them that the grass can be greener on the other side!
Host virtual events and webinars
During quieter months people are more likely to have time to attend events so why not host virtual events, webinars, and workshops to engage with potential candidates and clients? Online events mean they won’t have to take too much time out of their day and you can showcase your expertise. They also allow you to directly interact with attendees, answer their questions, and build relationships. Make sure you do your research and choose current and relevant topics.
Target your clients with bulk email campaigns
Summer is a great time to reach out to your lapsed clients and see if there’s something you could use in there – checking in with lost clients and refreshing their memory before the busiest season of the year can be just the nudge they need to go with your services. You’ll be the recruiter fresh in their mind when things pick up again in Q4.
And if you’re not having much success with your typical bulk emails with clients - why not try and completely restructure them? Change the messaging, format, and frequency - shake things up a bit and see what works and what doesn’t! The key here is to really make sure you are taking the time to track everything though as there is no point in trying different tactics if you aren’t going to measure what works and why.
You can also try some more light-hearted approaches with bulk emails during the quieter months. I used to use the summertime to send out a simple quiz with a prize for the client to get them engaged… and to pick up a client meeting. You can then go and drop the prize off securing a visit with your happy potential client!
Plan some temp campaigns
It’s no secret that the last few months of the year are all about the holidays – and the holiday season is when temp recruitment thrives.
Get your best temp candidates ready for speccing - make sure you create really targeted lists of clients, so you are matching the best temp talent for their business.
If your business doesn’t currently have a temp desk, maybe it’s time to consider branching out! Speak to your director about this to see if this is a feasible option.
For more ideas about repackaging your services and scoring more business, read our eBook below!
