October is the Most Active Month for Jobs and Hiring – Are You Ready?
Here Are Some Tips from LinkedIn’s Editor in Chief on How to Win as A Candidate or Employer
October 1, 2019
Today marks the beginning of the biggest ‘Hiring Month’ and the start to the Fall hiring season!
According to a recent LinkedIn study, October has the most number of new jobs on its website and 89% of jobs are filled within four weeks.
Their research showed that not only is October the best month for landing a job, but Monday is the best day to apply, and the first 25 applicants are 3X more likely to land the job.
Before you jump on LinkedIn to see your latest job recommendations or to finish posting the job that you finally got approved, take two minutes to read these tips from LinkedIn’s Editor-in-Chief Dan Roth, and a few from me, CEO of Workforce Genetics, too.
Roth recently joined CBS This Morning to discuss several tips for job seekers, specifically; how do you breakthrough to show you’re the right person for the job?
The key is to Demonstrate your skills as best as possible. That means being out there with your profile, sharing and talking about what you are an expert in and listing your skills.
“If you’re relying on a piece of paper (he means your resume) you’re doing it wrong,” shared Roth. “You want to be out there sharing your expertise, constantly talking about what you know, asking questions and sharing stories that are interesting to you.”
This is especially tough to do for many in the BioHealth field who are generally not the most active self-promoters and often lean on their technical expertise when applying for a job. Times have changed and so must you.
You have to show that you know how to talk and communicate about your area of expertise. The biggest skill in demand for companies right now is communication. Science is no longer just about working on a lab bench in a dimly lit room. It’s about collaboration, partnerships and a convergence of technologies, all of which require clear communication. If you can show that you can communicate you have a better chance of landing the job.
What Should Employers Do to Stand Out?
Attracting top talent and standing out during the most active hiring month means that employers need to do a better job at employer branding. That means updating your employer profile on LinkedIn, posting updates from your all-hands meeting, the recent conference you presented at, or your ‘Bring Your Cat to Work Day’. Companies who aren’t sharing their story and their culture are losing to those who are.
Roth noted that many Recruiters are being asked to take creative writing classes to write better job descriptions and attract better candidates. The principles of marketing that have been historically wielded primarily to drive sales are now more a part of recruiting than ever before.
When it comes to Employer Branding, Workforce Genetics’ Director of Recruiting and Talent Engagement, Ashley Nash, MM, SHRM-CP, PRC, had some great advice to share during a recent panel discussion on Attracting and Retaining Talent.
Employer branding is just part of the equation. Companies also need to take a more modern approach to talent by rethinking the type of employees they need with an open mind.
“A lot of companies are trapped in what is a post-recession mindset where they think they are going to hire exactly the right person. You got to stop looking for unicorns,” shared Roth.
“When you are in a tight labor market that is at a 50 year low in unemployment you have to be thinking much more expansively about who can fill these types of jobs. Be willing to take risks. Be willing to train people. You want to get unorthodox with your approach to candidates and the smart companies are starting to do that.”
Roth is 100% correct and this is great advice for all companies. I think it’s a tough pill to swallow for many of my BioHealth colleagues though. Not every position requires a Ph.D. and this is hard for many hiring managers to accept. In today’s market and the growing talent shortage, companies need to take a long hard look at their jobs and the skills they honestly need to fill them.
Training and talent development needs to be a part of every talent strategy. Not only is it critical to sustaining your company, but it’s a very attractive attribute for interested candidates too. Candidates want to work somewhere where they can learn new skills and grow and they will accept a lower-paying job if provided greater training and upward mobility. According to a recent JobVite survey, career growth is now the number one factor candidates use when looking for new opportunities.
As we approach the most active hiring time of the year, it’s also a time that both candidates and employers should actively evaluate their strategies for standing out and winning the talent game.
See LinkedIn Editor-in-Chief Dan Roths full interview on CBS This Morning.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Over the past 11 years, Chris has grown BioBuzz into a respected brand that is recognized for its community building, networking events and news stories about the local biotech industry. In addition, he runs a Recruiting and Marketing Agency that helps companies attract top talent through a blended model that combines employer branding and marketing services together with a high powered recruiting solution.
