Written by Sandra Reder
Senior Human Resource Consultant, Founder and President
Health Bridge HR

We continue to hear about the shortage of available workers, and the difficulty companies are having finding quality people. You may be wondering why this is, and as an employer when is the best time (and worst time) of the year to hire employees?

We break down the best time to hire employees using the 5Ws:

1. Who are you looking to hire?
2. What type of compensation are you offering? Are you competitive?
3. When should you hire new employees?
4. Where should you be posting your open job opportunities?
5. Why should you wait to hire until the Fall?

1. Who are you looking to hire?

Prior to posting the position be clear on who and what expertise you’re looking for. Have a well thought out job description and some good interview questions developed so you can ensure consistency in your recruiting process. After you have posted the position, it’s important to keep an open mind about who your potential candidates may be. There may be a candidate who doesn’t have the exact qualifications you had in mind; however, they may have transferable skills and end up being the perfect individual for the role. Sometimes the fit is more important than technical skills, in many cases they can be taught. Keep an open mind and be creative in your recruiting.

2. What type of compensation are you offering? Are you competitive?

In addition to ensuring that you are paying competitively, compensation does not have to directly mean the salary you are offering. Think about what other additional benefits you are offering and share this in the job posting. Do you have an education incentive? Do you offer extended health benefits? RRSP contributions/matching etc? These perks can help you stand out from your competitors, and perhaps make a potential candidate apply to your role rather than passing it by. We also recommend posting a salary range as this helps candidates determine whether or not the position is in line with their salary expectations. It saves both you and them time if your compensation range is not in line with what they are looking for.

3. When should you hire new employees?

Summer is a challenging time of the year to try and attract new talent.  Many people are focused on taking time off before the kids head back to school and they are not looking for a change in their careers. It’s our experience that typically September and January are the best times for hiring. With the start of a new school year in September, and a new calendar year in January people are often looking to make changes and create fresh starts. You have a better chance of attracting more job seekers during September and January.

4. Where should you be posting your open job opportunities?

Online job boards and on social media. Have you ever heard of the phrase “sharing is caring”? This goes along with job postings as well. If an individual finds a job posting they think is relevant and interesting, but perhaps not the right fit for their skills, making the posting hyper shareable will enable them to send it to other people in their network who may be a better fit. If your social media presence is active, you likely already have fans of your company so this is a great place to announce any open positions you may have.

5. Why should you wait to hire until the Fall?

If you have the luxury of waiting to expand your team, do it, this will increase your chances of finding the right person for the role. Our recruitment team, can also do the searching for you, and approach a possible candidate who may not be actively looking to make a change.

Recruiting the best person for your role can be an overwhelming experience. Hiring someone to take this guess work out of where to begin and how to find the needle in the haystack could save you time, and in the long run money. Our recruitment team together has decades of experience, and can offer support in a partial search role, or do the heavy lifting for you in a full search.

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