We all know how hard it is to find good candidates, let alone getting them out for a final interview before they are snatched up. December is a hard time to interview candidates. People go on vacation, take off time to be with their families, and agencies close between Christmas and New Years.

Early December is a crucial time. You need to try to make the most of these last weeks before the holidays. Try to schedule interviews as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the greater chance you have in losing your “ideal” candidate. You need to remember that your dream candidate is more than likely interviewing elsewhere, and the agency that makes best use of time will get the best hire. For example, as a time saver, only have your key people interview the candidate in person and have the rest interview him/her over the phone. Move quickly. If you wait until after the New Year, your chances to snag this candidate diminish greatly.

Now is a great time to find talent. It is actually easier for the candidate to take time off now because his/her boss is less likely to question an absence due to the holidays. Also, your “ideal” candidate may be looking to start the New Year off with a new opportunity. So remember, you only have 2.5 weeks in December. Take advantage of them. Be prepared to react quickly because time is of the essence.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2005 at 3:03 pm and is filed under Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.