The holiday season is a hard time to find quality potential candidates to interview for open positions. People are taking time with their families and assume that the hiring process has been stalled so they put their resumes on pause. But as a hiring manager, you know that business never stops (especially this year!) As the pool of candidates gets smaller, here are a few ways to increase your hiring options during the holiday season.

Take a Second Look

When reviewing resumes, there are always those main things we search for in order to qualify a potential candidate for the position. During the holidays, the list of candidates tends to shorten. Now is the time to take a second look before disqualifying a potential candidate. Maybe the experience is not where you would like it to be, but they have similar experience in another area that could translate. There may be something that you missed on the initial review. There are fewer potential candidates during the holidays, it may be worth the extra time to find that diamond in the rough.

Look Outside the Box

Do you have resumes of past candidates that may qualify for the current position? It could benefit you to give them a call. Even if they applied for a different position in the past, if they are still searching and you feel like they could be a good fit for the current position on your team – go for it! You may end up with an outstanding employee you never would have thought to consider otherwise.

Build Awareness

The holiday season + Pandemic year = EVERYONE is online for some reason or another. Whether they are shopping for gifts or just escaping for a second, they are out there looking. If you have a position that really needs filling and few candidates to choose from, consider building awareness online to gain a new pool of potential candidates. Even if they are not looking for a position, if you are advertising online, it may get their attention. Some of the potential candidates that have halted their job search for the holidays could see your advertisement and apply. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn will let you advertise for free and have a very large audience.

There are a lot of things as a hiring manager that one can do to increase your options. Taking a second look at resumes, thinking outside the box and building awareness for available positions will help increase your options during the holiday season. Even though the holidays can cause potential candidates to slow their job search, it is not a reason to give up. Remember, the holidays do not keep great candidates from needing a great job. Continue interviewing even if you have a busy holiday schedule, you might find that Christmas gift you’ve been looking for.