It’s finally March, the best month of the year! The weather is getting a little warmer, and the days are lasting longer. Oh yeah, and a lot of people are burning through their sick days with the epidemic known as March Madness. This month is the most competitive month of the year, as 68 teams look to make a splash in the “Big Dance” and bring home some hardware. But college basketball isn’t the only thing competitive in March.
The job market is HOT, and the unemployment rate remains at a 50-year low. If you’re thinking about looking for greener pastures, now is a perfect time to start your search. But if you’re a hiring manager, now is the right time to add some fresh talent to your team. Here’s why the March hiring madness is kicking into high gear and how to take advantage of it.
The competition is heating up
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, April is the month with the most advertised jobs and the largest volume of hiring in the first half of the year. So, if you’re a hiring manager, get ahead of the competition by starting your talent search now! If you wait until next month, you will have more companies fighting for the same talent. And if you’re a job seeker, this is a great time to start your search. The last Jobs Report yielded job gains of 225,000, with an unemployment rate of 3.6%. The labor market is holding steady and the hiring madness only looks to be ramping up this Spring.
Last month of Q1
March is the last month of the First Quarter. Before now, your open positions were for new positions to facilitate freshly launched projects or initiatives. January and February are big months for hiring. With renewed department budgets, employers are looking to snap out of the holiday season with a big hiring push. However, with March now upon us, the end of Q1 is already quickly approaching! Thus, employers have a solid understanding of where they stand with achieving the goals they set at the beginning of the year.
Many hiring managers begin to evaluate the team they currently have and identify gaps that need to be filled to meet expectations. Therefore, hiring managers are looking for problem solvers, someone to come in with a fresh pair of eyes, and excellent leadership skills to get the team back on track. So, if you are selected for a new position or reached out to by a recruiter, you should be feeling pretty good about yourself as a potential applicant in this situation!
The impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus is starting to impact employers across the country. As a result, it may begin to change your hiring and interviewing practices as we continue to learn more about this outbreak. But that doesn’t necessarily mean this virus needs to stall your hiring efforts. For example, many companies, like Google, are moving all their in-person interviews to a video format. This may take some getting used to, but it actually might save your team valuable time and money in the long run. Video interviews allow for more flexibility for employers and job seekers. Therefore, you may be able to speed up your hiring process and hire the talent you need more efficiently. The COVID-19 outbreak may also be a prime opportunity to discuss hiring more employees on a remote basis, giving you a competitive advantage for those looking to have a more flexible working environment.
How to navigate this March hiring madness
The March hiring madness is real, and it can be overwhelming for you or your team. If you are struggling to find your next position or to source the talent you need to finish the First Quarter off strong, let’s have a conversation. At Johnson Service Group, we can help bring you the talent you need to keep your (talent) bracket from busting.
And if you’re ready to take advantage of this competitive job market, check out our job board. We have hundreds of exciting opportunities across the U.S. and Canada!
