The busy holiday season is here. You have so much to do beyond work, that you may be wondering if you can just take a little “hiring holiday” over the next month. Do you really need to continue recruiting during December and January? YES!

Your competitors are actively recruiting, and candidates are still searching. If you search for “holiday recruitment,” your results are likely to return with countless seasonal and holiday staffing opportunities. Many people have the misconception that the only job searching and hiring taking place now is in the retail sector.

Who has time to look for a job during this season?  

Consider everyone’s hectic schedules of holiday parties, gatherings, school events, and preparations for the season. This eventful stretch provides an opportunity to evaluate candidates’ ability to juggle multiple responsibilities. Candidates that make time to search and apply during this season are likely to be dedicated, ready to work potential employees. AgCareers.com processed nearly 4,000 applications in December 2017.    

Traditionally, in December, candidates’ most popular search terms on AgCareers.com:

Now is an ideal time to finalize student and intern hiring, recruit revenue-producers, and begin searching for 2019 seasonal staff.

Who’s hiring in agriculture now?

All organizations want to start off the New Year prepared with the right staff.  Although our agriculture and food industry has seasonal staffing needs based on harvest and production, we still require talented people year-round.

Agricultural employers are continuing the search for the best talent. Competitors in most industry sectors were recruiting last December; input retail/coop, equipment, chemical/pesticide/fertilizer, commodities, animal and crop production were top hirers. Taking a recruitment vacation right now may mean foregoing top talent.

What types of careers are ag organizations recruiting for this time of year?  The top 5 career types for job openings during December were:

Make a goal this season, to at very least, update and simplify your job descriptions. An effective job description is clear and concise. Formatting matters in a job posting and description, so make good use of bullets, paragraphs, and bolding. When candidates are already experiencing the joy and frenzy of the season, the simpler and easier to read job postings are more likely to catch their attention.

Also, be considerate of holidays when you are following up with candidates. Response times and scheduling interviews may be a bit more challenging during the season, but certainly worth your time to keep up your recruitment efforts and start 2019 off on the right foot.   

Continue your hiring over the holidays at www.AgCareers.com.

The opinions of the author are not necessarily those of Farm Futures or Farm Progress.