Winter presents both attraction and retention challenges as well as unique opportunities for employers. For some industries, recruiting often slows during the winter months—especially after the winter holidays. However, winter is also when many job candidates are making plans for the coming year, which may include searching for new jobs and opportunities. Simultaneously, many employers struggle to keep employees engaged during winter.
Employee Attraction – Employers can consider the following strategies to improve winter attraction:
- Schedule interviews while candidates have free time around the holidays.
- Build a talent pipeline while there’s reduced hiring competition.
- Recruit college or university students who graduated during the fall semester.
- Use employment websites to improve branding and candidate outreach.
Employee Retention – Employers can consider these practices to boost employee engagement and retention during the winter months:
- Use the year’s end to recognize and reward employees for good work and accomplishments.
- Encourage goal-setting at the team, department, and individual levels.
- Offer employees flexibility on severe weather days.
- Check in with employees on a personal and professional level.
- Consider holiday bonuses and other incentives.
Savvy employers can use winter employment challenges as opportunities to attract talented job candidates and reenergize the workforce.
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