Insights

You may have heard about the dreaded “summer slowdown” that many businesses are said to experience, and perhaps the knowledge of this supposed phenomenon makes you hesitant to pursue hiring new talent during this season, even if you have the need and resources to do so.

Here at Automationtechies, we have 20-plus summers of experience on which to base our opinion on the matter. And when it comes down to it, we strongly believe that summer is a great time to hire, and we aren’t just saying that because finding great candidates to fill positions is our line of work.

As summer is just getting into full swing, we wanted to lay out some of our top reasons why we think hiring in the summer is a smart thing to do.

1. The benefit of time: Summer often means that more people are taking time off for vacations, so things like team meetings, trainings, and other scheduled events are less likely to be on the agenda. For hiring managers, this frees up lots of time that can be redirected to the hiring process.
   This is also a huge benefit to job seekers. It is much easier for them to take time off without question from their current employer to focus on the job search and to interview. Finding a time for hiring managers and job seekers to connect in the summer is far simpler than at other times of the year.
2. Candidates are more likely to consider relocating: Relocation is a huge commitment for most job candidates, and it’s made even more so if they have children. In our experience, many candidates with kids who are open to relocating tell us that they will not be able to actually make a move until the summer, so that their kids do not have to switch schools in the middle of the school year.
   Also, let’s face it, moving when the weather is nice is much more pleasant than moving in the middle of a snowstorm, and also makes the experience of getting to know a new place a lot more enjoyable.
3. Candidates tend to be more serious about making a career change: As many are aware, the beginning of the year tends to be the hot hiring time. Not only do companies have new hiring budgets to use, but many job seekers use that new-year benchmark to begin looking around at new opportunities. This may sound great, but it also means that the quality of candidates is often diluted.
   Sure, getting tons of applicants to your open job may seem like the best way to find that perfect person, but if you have to sift through hundreds of mediocre and/or unserious applicants to find them, then that’s when the situation becomes less than ideal, and the right applicant could easily slip through the cracks.
   Summer job seekers can benefit from the season because they face less competition to get noticed, while employers can spend more time focusing on serious, quality candidates only.
4. Summer means an abundance of job-seeking new grads: Not every college student has a job lined up to begin immediately after they remove their cap and gown. Some decide to take a little bit of time off before jumping into the workforce, and others just haven’t found the right opportunity yet. But whatever the reason, summer is the prime time to hire new graduates.
   New grads are eager to please and come equipped with an incredibly up-to-date knowledge of basic technical skills, as well as a student’s work ethic. Not to mention, entry-level employees are less expensive to the employer.

We hope now you are convinced that summer is a great time to hire. But don’t just take our word for it. Reach out to us today to discuss your hiring needs and find out for yourself.

About the Author:

This article is written by Meghan Carty, Operations and Communications Coordinator at Automationtechies.

Connect with her on LinkedIn.