Human behavior often mirrors the seasons. During autumn, for example, foliage changes colors, and trees shed leaves. Similarly, many careerists determine the fall season an opportunity to renew themselves, shedding the old job for a new, more invigorating position.
In fact, there are a variety of reasons that everyone, from early careerists, to more experienced managers and executives, are ripe for the picking this time of year. Here are just a few:
1. Their kids are back in school.
Many careerists have children who have occupied much of their down time during the summer months with warm-weather activities such as summer vacations and weekends at the lake. During this time, moms and dads may have set aside goals for career change, and by the time September rolls around are chomping at the bit to focus in on their resumes, their interview prep, and their networking to help land that next gig.
2. It just feels like the right time to make a change.
As with other seasonal changes, the shift from summer to fall palpably draws people into the crisp feel of change in the air! With that sensitivity comes introspection and renewed enthusiasm to amend areas of their lives that might not feel as hopeful or invigorating as they once did. If one of those areas happens to be their job situation, then it is more than likely the winds of change will blow them in the direction of job search.
3. The year is roaring ahead, leaving career resolutions in the dust.
Careerists’ goals, renewed at the beginning of the year, often start to stagnate as the year advances. Each passing month, each demanding work project, and each underwhelming review from their boss signals that it is time to make a change. Tired of being left in the dust of promotions and raises, careerists take the wheel of their career and map a course for a new destination.
4. The holidays evoke a sentimental feeling about work-life values.
As ads for Thanksgiving and Christmas start to pop up in the fall, family and friends plan warm gatherings, embracing the sentimentality that accompanies such events. Often, amid the planning, as well as the events themselves, careerists have an awakening about the increasing lack of balance between work and their personal lives. Spurred on, they actively put their feelers out for a new, more balanced role or simply are more open when that recruiter comes a-calling or a friend shares news about an attractive job opening.
5. Careerists are capitalizing upon end-of-year hiring budgets.
Many people know that companies and their decision makers have budgets to wrap up, including exhausting funds designated for talent initiatives such as hiring new staff. Taking these opportunities seriously, careerists conduct the appropriate research and start tuning their resumes to energize anticipated conversations with hiring managers.
Employers on the lookout for new talent don’t necessarily care what time of year it is; they just care about finding the right candidate at the right time to solve specific problems. That said, leveraging seasonal motivators to identify candidates receptive to jumping their career ship may be just the edge needed to attract that right candidate during this fall hiring season.
As you are recruiting for the final quarter of the year, it might be helpful to take a few moments and review Glassdoor’s The Benefits Employees Want Most e-book. In the face of rising health insurance costs, shrinking pension plans, unlimited paid time off and more generous leave policies, employers have to carefully evaluate how their benefits programs impact their ability to attract and retain talent.
