Maximizing Your Summer for a Busy Fall Recruiting Season

by Sherry Ettleson , Principal

Summers are slower months for many of us, between vacations and a slowdown of hiring (unless you are running a presidential campaign. HA!)  But as an executive recruiter, I am hard at work preparing: September is the beginning of my busiest months. Why am I telling you this? Because if I am busy, it means a lot of organizations are planning to hire talented new staff. It also means this is a great time for job-seekers to look for a new opportunity.

If you are nonprofit leader, I encourage you to use some of your “slow” time in summer to think about your hiring needs to meet current and future challenges, especially if you want to fill a position by the end of the year. 

Consider the following when planning your hiring needs:

• What does your upcoming workload look like? Does your team have the capacity and skills to get this work done?
• Are there gaps in the skillset your current team has?
• What are your long- and short-term plans for growth? 
• Do you think some staff will leave after November 2024 elections?
• What does your budget look like? Can you afford to grow your team? (Remember: budgets may change after the election in November and with the changing economy).
• In what ways can you retain current staff? Are you able to invest in professional development opportunities and improving your team’s work-life balance?
• What does your hiring timeline look like? What team members will be involved in the process?

As organizations prepare to grow their teams in the fall, this makes September onward a popular time for individuals to ramp up their job searches or consider their next career move.

Here are my tips for an effective job search:

• Designate a few hours on your calendar each week to work on your search.
• Update your resume.
• Reach out to people in your network to set up networking calls or meetings and keep track of everyone you talk to who was helpful. Send them a quick note every six weeks or so to thank them again and remind them you are still looking. 
• Prepare your networking/interviewing talking points—writing them down always helps—and tailor them to the person with whom you’re networking. 
• Look at job posting sites—especially LinkedIn—and the jobs page of your favorite organizations. 
• Use a spreadsheet to track your applications and the organizations you want to watch for openings. 
• Every two months, check in with yourself. Look back at what you have done with regard to your search and ask yourself how you are feeling about the search. Do you need to do anything different than you’ve done in the last eight weeks? Then make those changes if necessary—or stay the course. 

The upcoming fall can be a crazy ride. As we approach the last few weeks of summer, organizations and individuals alike should take advantage of their available time to stay organized, plan ahead, and set themselves up for success.

Read more from the DRG Blog.