Is now the best time of year to hire staff?

Is the start of the year a good time to snare my first hire?

I’m looking at placing a job ad now as I think I may get a great response as more people look to switch jobs at the start of the year. Is that right?

Let’s look at it from your potential candidate’s point of view.

Fresh from holidays (or “holliers” as my dear old Mum used to say); a new year, a new set of ridiculous New Year’s resolutions, and a new perspective. Was it that day you spent on the beach? Was it that fabulous family weekend? Or was it just a break away from the drudgery?

No matter what it was, you know you need a change.

And now you’re back at work.

You are really trying to get back in the swing. The fact that your partner had to drag you out of bed and force feed you into the car should really be the first clue that you need a change. So why not have a cheeky squiz at Seek? Can’t hurt can it?

What grabs my attention? Wow, that looks interesting. I think I might apply…

Let’s look at it from your point of view.

Now is the time to snag someone who needs a change and is looking for a fresh start. So, please, oh please, don’t make your ad boring.

Now is the time to catch someone who has returned from leave and is focused on the “leave” bit! So we have people looking and you need a plan to get their attention.

No matter what medium you use, you must follow the tried and true path of any campaign: attention, interest, desire, action, and close.

But don’t over promise. Simply highlight the flexibility of hours you offer; the great work environment; the excitement of a fresh new venture.

You get the picture?

Now be prepared to shortlist and be true to yourself. You are aiming to find a good fit.

Recently we heard AFL clubs choosing from available talent but putting the “character card” first. That is, they knew that the draftee was talented but they wanted to avoid train wrecks.

You can do this also.

So don’t think your ‘I’m a start-up looking for my first employee’ mode will necessarily snag you the perfect employee; but you might get close. And you can select on attitude and then train for skill.

That is, if you have snared the ones who have just come back from ‘holliers’!