Main image of article Mastering the 'When' of Recruiting Tech Talent

To land top tech talent, you have to first engage the right candidates at just the right moment. To successfully hack the “who” of recruiting, use powerful tools like Dice’s Talent Search to target candidates faster with skills-based searching. And the “where” of recruiting is just as important: with access to 2.2 million tech résumés on Dice and 11 million more candidates on Dice’s Open Web social recruiting platform, you’re definitely in the right place to reach skilled tech pros.

What About the “When” of Recruiting?

Mastering the “who” and “where” of recruiting is vital, but don’t forget to also focus on the “when.” By understanding the best times to reach out to candidates, you’ll position yourself well ahead of the pack. “Exactly when you recruit and how long the recruitment process lasts has a significant impact on the number of successful hires you make,” said John Sullivan, an internationally-recognized HR thought leader specializing in strategic talent management (watch a video of his recent interview with Dice). To master the “when” of recruiting: Schedule your outreach when candidates are looking: Which days and times are most candidates actively looking for new positions? The early bird gets the worm, with 40 percent of job searches occurring on Monday and Tuesday; around 40 percent of those searches happen between 9 A.M. and 1 P.M. Schedule your jobs to post in the morning and early in the week, and serve up ads on relevant websites during this time frame for peak viewing. Search for candidates year-round: We all know Q1 is the busiest time of the year, but you can snag tech pros throughout the calendar cycle when others aren’t looking for them. Candidates may leave a job at the end of a company’s fiscal year (typically June or December), or during a hiring freeze (typically toward the end of company’s fiscal year). Take advantage of these times when demand is lower. Understand career progression: Statistically speaking, candidates are ready to move after various tenures in their first, second and third jobs. Optimize your outreach by understanding that candidates will leave a third job after just 3.8 years—much shorter than the 5.3 years they typically stay at a first job. Also consider letting Dice help you better understand this behavior with our Likely To Switch tool, which effectively predicts when a candidate is most likely to make a career move (based on time spent in the job, skills, and industry trends). Engage when competitors are exposed: Negative events at a company may prompt top talent to start looking elsewhere for opportunities, so stay on top of these industry developments. You can effectively hyper-target these candidates on social by using proprietary data from Dice to engage when competitors are vulnerable. Another good time to strike is just before competitors’ National Hiring Days, or other large-scale hiring events.

Know the “When” to Win Big with Talent

Timing is everything in recruiting. Knowing when candidates are looking for new opportunities and timing your outreach accordingly is crucial to your success in a tight tech market. Get the full story and learn more about when to make your move by downloading our new guide “Timing is Everything: The 'When' of Winning Tech Talent.”