The off-season recruiting process is a lot like dating. You have to work hard, be smart about it and always keep your eye on the prize. If you’re like me, you’ve probably been on both sides of this equation. I’ve had bosses who were passive about finding candidates for their open roles and others who were highly aggressive about recruiting new service techs into their pool companies. The difference between these two types of leaders is not just how much effort they put into hiring but also how effective they are in attracting candidates who will be successful once released out into the field.

It’s all in the timing

You can find the best candidates for much less money in the off-season.

These people are looking for a change of scenery and want to take their talents elsewhere. They’re also willing to negotiate because they don’t have other offers on the table right now.

They might have just been laid off or aren’t happy at their current job and are ready to risk doing something new. If you can provide them with an opportunity they haven’t considered before, it could be the start of something beautiful!

Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash

Use your strengths

You should be able to answer the following questions:

  • What are your strengths as a company?
  • What are your strengths as a hiring manager?
  • How do you use them to attract top talent from all over the world?

Provide incentives

Incentives can be paid or unpaid, monetary or non-monetary. They can be used to encourage a specific behavior (and therefore should align with your pool company’s values), or they may provide an incentive for completion at a particular time frame. For example, A service company might offer their techs a small bonus at the end of the month if they had zero complaints from the cuts on their route, or for every 5-star review, one of their pool owners leaves. It could also be a monthly fishing trip; this is an incentive, team-building activity, and a perk!

Ask many questions of the candidate

As the interview process continues during your off-season recruiting, you should ask the candidate many questions. Ask about their experience, what they are looking for and what they have achieved in their last role. Ask them about their goals and aspirations. They may tell you they want to be a service manager or become an entrepreneur or just want to take a position where they get to work outside.

Ask them about their strengths and weaknesses; this will give you an idea of how honest they are with themselves and with you during the interview process (if someone says, “I don’t have any weaknesses,” then it’s probably not true). You should also ask them questions about what interests them outside work so that when something comes up later on down the line and needs extra attention from your team member, it won’t catch anyone off guard!

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Use of multiple sources of off-season recruiting

It’s not enough to post jobs on a website and hope for the best. It will help if you put in the work. You need to reach out to people and use multiple recruiting sources, like job boards, social media, and referrals from current employees. You should be contacting every single person who applies (and every other person you can think of) within 24 hours of them submitting their resume or completing an application form—that way, you’ll be able to let them know whether or not you want them before they move on with their lives.

Make sure that your company has an active presence on the internet: keep up with your LinkedIn Company Page and include links to it in all job postings; create an active Twitter account where potential candidates can learn more about what life is like at your company; have a blog where they can read posts written by employees describing what their experience has been like working there.

Use multiple sources to reach candidates

The best way to reach candidates is by using multiple sources.

  • Social media is a great place to find new talent. Use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to share your jobs with relevant people in your networks. Make sure you have a company profile on each social network so they can follow you and learn more about the open position(s).
  • Job boards are another good option for sourcing candidates who haven’t been found through internal channels or other sourcing methods. Keep in mind that job boards are not very effective during the slower seasons (winter/summer), so make sure you don’t spend too much time focusing on this source of recruiting candidates!
  • Networking with professional organizations such as trade associations and alum networks may yield interesting results if done correctly – especially when there are fewer applicants than usual (i.e., off-season). Be sure not just focus on hiring recent grads, though – many organizations offer great opportunities for seasoned professionals looking for career advancement!

The off-season recruitiing is a great time to recruit for your company. You can find good, qualified candidates who are looking for jobs, and not as many other people are trying to do the same thing (which means you won’t have so much competition). I’ve given you some tips on how to make the most of this opportunity here, but there is no substitute for hard work and research!

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By Rudy

Rudy Stankowitz is a 30-year veteran of the swimming pool industry and President/CEO of Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants

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