The September Surge

On your mark! Get ready! Go! It's the “September Surge,” a hiring frenzy that happens every year right after Labor Day. While some recruiters debate its extent, wise recruiters know there’s always one last hiring push in the fall before the year ends.

Question. Are you prepared?

Here are some common factors contributing to the September Surge:

• Timing and Seasonality: This period marks the end of summer vacations and the start of a new business cycle, leading to increased focus on hiring.
• Back-to-School: As children return to school, working parents have more time to focus on work, including hiring decisions.
• Budget Considerations: Some companies operate on a "use it or lose it" budget policy, prompting them to utilize remaining funds for hiring before the fiscal year ends.
• Holiday Season Preparation: Businesses, especially in retail, ramp up hiring in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.

Let's pause for a moment. If you've been in talent acquisition for more than a few years, you know that hiring picks up in the fall and slows down after Thanksgiving. But, there are unique times for recruiters. We've seen more applicants than normal due to some industry layoffs.

Plus...

Talent Acquisition leaders have scaled down their recruiting teams, but with a hiring surge, the demand also brings an influx of resumes. Thanks to AI-generated resumes and robo-applying, candidates are flooding the ATS. TA leaders are evaluating AI recruiting platforms to analyze and screen applicants.

Again. Are you prepared?

For some talent acquisition professionals, it's like Groundhog Day every time this year because they're caught off guard by sudden hiring demand. Ironically, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data doesn't consistently show September as the peak hiring month across all industries.

Recruiters, keep this September from catching you by surprise and damaging your employer's reputation due to poor candidate experience. It's time to get with others and network at the ERE Recruiting Conference. I'd like you to discover how to use some of the AI tools other innovative TA teams use to tackle the surge.

I'll see you at ERE in Anaheim!