Knowing About Recruitment Cycles Could Give Your Job Search an Edge

Being in the right place at the right time is often a big reason why some people get hired over others. But how do you know if you’re timing your job search just right? Is there actually a best time to apply for jobs? After all, there are so many moving parts like staff turnover rates, seasonal needs, and earnings reports—not to mention the economy. Somehow, you’re supposed to hit this moving target and walk away with a job.

Don’t despair. One aspect of the job hunt to consider is the recruitment cycle. Like most business functions, recruiting and hiring activity has ebbs and flows, and if you pay attention, you just might be able to time your application to when a hiring manager is most eager to bring in new talent.

Here's a look at how recruitment cycles may factor into your job search and why you should always be ready to apply.

General Recruitment Trends Throughout the Year

To get hired, you want to think like a recruiter, namely, figuring out when demand for new hires is the greatest. It’s easiest to think of hiring in seasons:

Winter Recruitment Trends

The New Year means a new budget—and recruiters are eager to use those available funds to hire for open positions, making the first quarter is a very busy time for recruiting. Staffers are generally taking less time off this time of year since they’re just coming out of the holiday season, which helps speed up the hiring process in quarter one, as well.

For job seekers at the executive level, the first half of the year is prime time for recruiting and hiring. January through mid-June is the biggest time for senior job searches.

Spring Recruitment Trends

Spring is when recruiters tend to snatch up soon-to-be college graduates. Companies start recruiting in April to have recent grads in place by June 1.

Summer Recruitment Trends

Once summer hits, you can expect a recruiting slowdown, as people start taking vacations and offices shift to more relaxed summer hours and flextime schedules.

That’s not to say that you should never look for work in the summer; just expect that it will be a slower-moving process. It can take longer for HR to sift through applications, set up interviews, and respond to emails, as competing vacation schedules get in the way. Job searches for higher-level roles tend to drag even more because they require interviews with several people in the organization.

The exception to this? Seasonal jobs for the holidays. Get your resume out by the end of the summer to apply to seasonal jobs.

Fall Recruitment Trends

Once the fall comes and staffs return to full force, recruitment and hiring pick up again. Both candidates and hiring managers return to work, refreshed from summer vacations and eager to fill any vacant roles before hiring grinds to a halt during the holidays. Department heads are also motivated to use up any remaining budget before they run out.

What does this mean for job seekers? If you apply to a job after Labor Day, expect quick responses from recruiters and hiring managers and less downtime between rounds of interviews.

Exceptions to the Rules of Recruitment

It’s important to recognize that some companies and industries have unique recruitment cycles.

For example, January through April is peak season for tax and accounting professionals, so there may not be a lot of vacancies for those seeking such positions in the first quarter. After April 15, job seekers can expect to see more open positions as firms concentrate on recruiting before the start of the busy season.

Teachers and other school employees may find that a lot of recruiting takes place over the early summer to replace people who decide not to return for the following school year.

Paying attention to economic trends in your field can also help you predict when recruiters and hiring managers will be on the hunt. Positions in construction or real estate, for example, are often dependent on the current housing market. Other industries may be particularly sensitive to supply chain disruptions and turnover rates.

How to Work the Recruitment Cycles

To get a better sense of the best time to apply for jobs in your field, try these strategies:

During the Winter: Apply, Apply, Apply

Winter is the best time to apply to new jobs. Usually, there’s a flurry of hiring in January and February, followed by a lull in March.

How can you get in the recruitment pipeline? Get ready to spend more time on your job search during winter. Establish a daily job search routine that includes looking at new job postings, researching interesting companies, updating your resume and cover letter, responding to recruiters and hiring managers, and following up after interviews.

During the Spring: Get Ready to Graduate

In between last-semester classes and celebrating with college friends, it’s important to lock down your post-graduation plan. Spend some time on your job search once or twice a week by creating a new resume, visiting your college’s career center, attending any on-campus recruiting events, and reaching out to alumni who have your dream job.

During the Summer: Expand Your Network

The summer is a slower period for hiring, but between trips to the beach and family vacations, spend some time networking. Networking during the summer downtime can yield great results. That’s because during the calmer summer months and the holiday season, people may have more free time to connect and be a little more relaxed when they do. This is also a great time to schedule informational interviews.

During the Fall: Think Ahead

The budgets for some hires, especially for newly created roles, are often lumped into the next fiscal year budget. As a result, companies will sometimes start searching for candidates before the holidays. That way, they’ll have someone locked down, ready to start as soon as those funds become available.

So if your New Year's Resolution is to start a new job in January, don’t wait until winter to send out applications—start updating your resume, looking at job ads, and sharpening your interviewing skills in the fall.

Year-Round, Stay Up-to-Date

No matter when you look for work, the best approach is to hope for a sprint, but plan for a marathon. Train daily for your job search by researching companies, updating your resume, looking for and applying to opportunities, and networking.

In times of talent shortage, things may move quickly. If a job is open and companies are looking to hire soon, there is no slow period. If a company—or their hiring team—is well-organized, you might do an interview one day and get an offer the next.

To get insight into a company’s individual hiring process, do your research. Look through companies’ social media pages to try to get a sense of their hiring practices and timelines. You might be able to pick up on a particular pattern. Or you might be able to contact someone at the company directly to ask about their hiring cycle.

Finally, if there’s a particular company you’re interested in, stay up to date on news announcements that might indicate a hiring boom is on the way—maybe an expansion, new product lines, or an influx of capital funding.

Get in the Recruitment Cycle

Keep in mind that recruiters and hiring managers are affected by many variables, including market conditions, industry, having to fill roles unexpectedly, and more, so positions can open up at any time. Want to increase your chances of showing up on their radar? Join Monster today. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent to you when positions become available. Why wait? The best time to apply for jobs is now, so let's get you hired.