Hiring IT Talent: How to attract candidates in the summer season
When hiring IT talent, there will be some times of the year when candidates don’t seem quite as active. One of those times is the summer season, specifically late July through to early September. Of course, it’s the most common time for people to take annual leave and fly off for a week or two.
With this in mind, many companies might choose to relax their recruitment strategy until September. After all, there will likely be annual leave taken within the business too. However, there are still recruitment opportunities to be found, especially when attracting IT talent.
Hiring IT Talent this summer? Here’s what to do!
If you stay focused on your talent strategy this summer, you can get ahead of the competition and have fresh talent ready to go by September! Here are some things to think about and ways you can attract the best talent in what is considered a quieter period for IT recruitment.
Make yourself heard with hiring-related LinkedIn posts
This is a perfect time to boost your employer brand. Candidates who are actively looking will remain on platforms such as LinkedIn for research and job applications. Develop blog posts, videos, and social media content that highlight your company culture, innovative projects, and the technologies you work with. Furthermore, any vacancies should be advertised in eye-catching and exciting ways. Get potential candidates excited now so that they cannot wait to engage and start the application.
Get support – have you engaged an IT recruitment agency?
If you have not yet established an IT recruitment agency partnership, now is the time to do so. These agencies have extensive networks and specialised knowledge, enabling them to quickly identify and connect you with top talent that might be otherwise overlooked. Summer can be a challenging time for recruitment – but an experienced IT recruitment agency can navigate these challenges effectively. From summer IT contractors to offering valuable insights into market trends, a recruitment partnership ensures you stay ahead of the competition, securing the best talent even in the quieter months.
Focus on the time to fill the vacancy
Candidates actively searching during the summer are often highly motivated and eager to make a career move. By maintaining an efficient hiring process, you can quickly secure these top performers before your competitors even become aware of their availability. A focus on speeding up this process in the summer is the perfect way to attract IT talent. We’re not saying to select the first CV that comes along. Focus on remote first stages via Zoom or Teams, so that the face-to-face stages can begin sooner. You can be thorough without taking up too much time from busy summer schedules.
Offer summer benefits
A great way to attract talent in this period is to offer them value specific to this time of year. As an example, remote onboarding mixed with time in the workplace is a great way to get attention from candidates. Many professionals will have extra commitments in the summer, especially those with children. Allowing some time for them to get settled remotely will help ease the process and they can meet team members gradually. With many people on holiday, it gives them a chance to get accustomed to the role responsibilities. Make sure to promote any benefits such as this so there is clear transparency about the hiring and onboarding processes.
Engage fresh talent – creating relationships for the future
Graduates entering the job market in the summer are eager to kick-start their careers. While some may take on holiday or contract jobs for June and July, many are looking to begin their professional journeys by early September. By recruiting during the summer, businesses can access this enthusiastic talent pool. It’s not only about hiring this pool of talent right now either. Engaging them now can help strengthen your talent pipeline. At TechNET IT, we are always sure to speak with fresh talent and check in with them as they establish their IT careers. There will always be a role for talent further down the line, even if there isn’t something for them when you first speak.
Here for your IT Recruitment needs
How can we help you? If you’re looking for a new role with a forward-thinking business, check out our latest IT jobs. If you are hiring IT talent, submit your vacancy today and we will be in touch!
