Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction.
Turbulent times often thrust recruitment efforts into a gridlock. Whether your team is in a hiring lull or you're trying to actively hire without overstepping your limits, the question of what to do next is always top of mind.
The reality is that halting your efforts altogether will cause more problems down the line. Taking control of your strategy and positioning yourself as a thought leader for your business will help you stay relevant during turbulent times. Be agile and reevaluate your efforts within the context of a broader business impact.
The Core Idea
Regardless of whether you're actively hiring or not, the work you put in now will serve as a strong foundation for aggressive hiring goals when things return to normal.
Consider this a choose-your-own adventure playbook. If you're still hiring, start with Section I for our step-by-step breakdown of playing offense through active recruitment. If you're not hiring, jump to Section II to learn how to play defense. Sections III and IV apply to everyone.
Section I
How to play offense as a recruiter.
Economic turbulence creates new obstacles. Talent acquisition teams that are still actively hiring need to get savvy: pull back on some initiatives, double down on others, and become more targeted in your efforts.
1
Promote Your Hiring Efforts
When the economy is suffering, candidates assume no one is hiring. This is your opportunity to capture talent you may not have been able to in the past. Create a "We're Hiring" campaign, promote open roles on social media and encourage employees to reshare. Job posts shared by employees receive 8x more engagement than brand accounts.
4
Meet Candidates Where They Are
As the world shifts, so will people's behavior. The platforms you've been promoting on may no longer make an impact. Identify platforms worthy of continued investment, pull back on less impactful ones immediately, and seek out high-traffic platforms you've yet to tap into.
5
Employee referrals are the top source for hires. The hiring process is 55% faster when candidates are referred since they're more familiar to your team. If you have referred candidates who didn't receive an offer, reengage them. They may still be interested.
8x
more engagement on job posts shared by employees vs. brand accounts
72%
of consumers only interact with personalized content
561%
more impressions when messaging is shared by employees
55%
faster hiring process when candidates are referred
Putting It Together
Job seekers want to work for an employer that truly cares about its people and surrounding communities, and has a mission focused on supporting both. They'll take stock of how you respond to unexpected situations. Let them know you're making your employees a priority and, above all, making a difference.
"Brand is the sum total of how someone perceives a particular organization. Branding is about shaping that perception."
Ashley Friedlein
Section II
How to play defense as a recruiter.
Turbulent times often force companies into a hiring freeze or layoffs. Don't be discouraged. There are many ways to step up and prepare for when business returns to normal. It's time to be proactive instead of reactive.
3
Partner With Your Marketing Team
Marketers are skilled writers who create strategic messaging every day. Pooling your resources doubles your efforts without adding stress. Before approaching them, brainstorm your messaging upfront to lighten their load. Lean on their data to determine which platforms to focus on. Then use their expertise to create visually engaging content shared on social and through email campaigns.
5
Put Culture at the Forefront
Candidates will remember what you do now in six months. Double down on what your company cares about: your mission, core values and company culture. Increase transparency with employees through timely company-wide communications. Prioritize feedback. Most employees find annual reviews ineffective, and one-third describe their performance reviews as unhelpful.
95%
of candidates heavily weigh a company's reputation when choosing their next job
27%
of employees have left a job due to lack of recognition
4x
more influential than other recruiting performance factors: your hiring managers
Putting It Together
A defensive strategy isn't about going dark. It's about making the investments that will give you an unfair advantage when hiring ramps back up. The companies that emerge strongest are the ones that kept building their brand, their culture and their people while everyone else went quiet.
"Recruitment IS marketing. If you're a recruiter nowadays and you don't see yourself as a marketer, you're in the wrong profession."
Matthew Jeffrey
Section III
The transition from defense to offense.
A defensive recruitment strategy isn't a long-term game. At some point, the storm will pass. Start small, test everything and reiterate as needed.
Make moves on existing candidates.
Signal to candidates who were interested in your company before with a "We're Hiring!" campaign. They were interested once and may still be. Tap into the supportive workforce you've built during the lull for employee referrals. The returns speak for themselves:
1/3
of employee referrals are hired
40%
less: cost of hiring a referred candidate vs. job boards
25%
more profit produced by employee referrals vs. other sourcing channels
Employer brands boost talent pipelines.
Your employer branding strategy needs to shift during this transitional period. No longer should you take a reactive approach. You must be proactive, especially now that you have a story to tell.
95%
of candidates identify company reputation as a key consideration when exploring new opportunities
10%
minimum pay increase companies with poor employer brands must offer to lure top talent
23%
of 18-34 year-olds would accept a pay cut to join a company with a good employer brand
Cross-departmental collaboration means success.
As more roles open up, tap into your leadership team, hiring managers and marketing team. The work you put into these relationships during the lull will pay off. Put your hiring manager training to the test with the first few roles you hire for, and work with marketing to strategize how to pivot and amplify your employer brand with candidates again.
The transition from defense to offense is not going to look the same for every organization. However, the foundational elements remain true: start small, test everything and reiterate as needed.
Section IV
How to handle candidate interactions.
When hiring goes on pause, you don't have to completely overhaul your candidate interactions. Little tweaks to your current workflow can make a big difference.
Updating existing job descriptions.
Pausing hiring doesn't mean your job descriptions must come down. Keep them visible and make a few targeted updates to set expectations and maintain momentum:
Modify your job title to signal timing. Example: "Public Relations Manager - Hiring in Q3"
Update your company description to focus on how your company is supporting employees and making a difference right now, not just selling the role
Update your call to action with a note before the Apply button. Example: "*Please note: This position will not be offered until Q3."
Key Principle
Be as transparent and clear as possible when discussing role availability. Don't try to hide the information; this will only frustrate candidates and cause them to think poorly of your brand.
Communication plans for active candidates.
The key to successfully communicating with active candidates during times of uncertainty is to be transparent, empathetic and helpful. Here are the three email scenarios to have ready:
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Thank you for your interest in [COMPANY NAME]. We have received your application for the open [JOB TITLE] position. Please note we will not be actively interviewing for this role until [INSERT DATE]. When that time comes, someone from our team will be in touch to update you on the status of your application.
In the meantime, please visit [LINK TO RELEVANT WEB PAGE] to learn more about our company.
Best,
[COMPANY NAME] Recruiting Team
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Thank you for taking the time to speak with our team about the [JOB TITLE] role. [INTERVIEWER] was very impressed by your [EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE]. We believe you will be a good fit for the role and a strong addition to our growing [DEPARTMENT TEAM] at [COMPANY NAME].
Unfortunately, we have had to hit pause on this role due to [INSERT REASON]. We expect to start interviewing for this role again around [INSERT DATE]. While we'd love to continue the interview process at a later date, I understand if this time frame does not work for you.
Please let me know if you are still interested in the role and if you would like to hear updates about its availability.
Best,
[YOUR NAME]
Hi [FIRST NAME],
I am [YOUR JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME], and we're currently looking for a [OPEN JOB TITLE] to join our team. [CONTACT NAME] spoke very highly of your [SKILLS] and recommended you for the role.
I took a look at some of your work online, and given your experience, I think you'd be an excellent fit for the role. I'd love to hear more about you and talk to you about the role. Are you available for a 15-minute phone call sometime tomorrow?
Best,
[YOUR NAME]
After telling candidates your roles are on pause, stay top of mind through candidate nurturing. Share tips to improve their resume, offer insight into your hiring process and showcase how your company is making a difference. It will position your company as a sought-after employer because of how you responded to challenges.
Putting It Together
How you treat candidates when you're not actively hiring is just as telling as how you treat them when you are. Transparency, empathy and consistent communication are what separate the employers candidates remember from the ones they forget.
