The short month of February represents the dog days of winter, when most of us would rather fly off to somewhat tropical or hibernate with a glass of wine next to a roaring fire.

However, these months are actually when you should firing up your recruitment efforts, as this is the time of year when many talented people enter the labor market.

For some, the new year represents a time to change careers or look for a new job. These job seekers are often buoyed by an annual bonus or 13^th month pay, which they may have stuck around their current job to collect.

Also, many college students graduate in December, which means a fresh crop of young talent for companies looking to hire. If you don’t grab a recent graduate now, you’ll have to wait until June for the next wave of graduates.

If you’re looking for the best employees, you don’t want to wait!

Business Factors to Consider

In addition to an influx of talent coming into the labor market, there are also a number of business factors that should drive hiring in February.

For one thing, hiring is largely put off in December, when many key decision makers are out of the office holiday shopping, hosting family from out of town or going on a winter vacation. When these folks come back in January, any delayed hiring needs must be addressed.

Annual company budgets are also drafted in January. Once a manager knows how much they can spend on labor, hiring can then begin the best employees in earnest.

Other Times of the Year Are Less Effective

If for no other reason, you should hire in February because other times of the year are absolutely dismal for hiring.

From March to May, the number of recent graduates in the labor market steadily decreases, either as they get hired, start looking to grad school or begin making plans for a gap year. Also, any people hired in January must be trained and gotten up to speed. The demands of these new employees mean less time for managers to reengage in the hiring process.

While there is a fresh crop of graduates coming out in late May and early June, the window to hire them is small, as many key decision makers head out for summer vacations. Companies know this, and so the competition for recent grads during this short window can be fierce. Hence, if a candidate has other offers on the table besides yours, it puts you at a negotiating disadvantage.

In early fall, conditions are right for hiring again, but once November rolls around, it can be more challenging to hire new workers as budgets get depleted and bad weather starts to play havoc with schedules, especially in certain parts of the country.

At Cornerstone Staffing, we help companies acquire the best employees all year round. If your company is currently looking to get a jump on the competition when it comes to hiring the best talent, please contact us today.