Resources

Recruiting in the Face of Uncertainty

In the midst of the coronavirus crisis, all of us are facing much uncertainty. As states are initiating reopening plans, traffic to our site is steadily increasing as jobseekers are ready to get back to work and are searching for their summer opportunities.  For those of you who are approaching your operating season for summer 2020, but are navigating the challenges surrounding your recruitment message, we want to provide some ideas and suggestions for how to approach your recruiting through these uncertain times.

Leverage your Active Materials

If you are still accepting applications, consider updating any active CoolWorks ads and/or your Enhanced Employer Profile to reflect current information. Many job seekers are hesitant to apply or reach out if your information doesn’t address the current Covid-19 situation as this leads them to assume that your Ads/Profile are out of date. Address your current recruiting status in the context of the current events in your state and at your property so that potential applicants will be better informed and more confident in applying.

If you’re fully staffed and no longer accepting applications, in a temporary hiring freeze, or have decided to not open for this summer season, please consider either pausing your recruitment materials, or communicating your current status on your active materials.

Update Your Confirmation Message

If you are still actively accepting applications, and you’re using an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or other online form that sends automated receipt confirmation messages to applicants, remember to review your confirmation message to make sure it’s up to date as well. This could include possible revised season dates, and any other information that is affecting your recruiting process or operating season. Providing timelines, expectations, and up to date information begins building trust, can help improve application completion rates, and starts your relationship with potential new hires on the right foot.

Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

It’s not just active job seekers who need to hear from you. The staff that you’ve hired up until this point are also eager for news of how your state’s current reopening plans will impact your property and their plans for summer. Establish regular and defined communication routines for all staff, both those hired but not yet on the property, as well as those on-site. You can’t over-communicate. Assume that incoming staff/applicants do NOT have specific information about your location/state/park’s current and evolving response.

The silver lining in all that communication is that frequent phone calls to staff allows for the opportunity to get to know them better and open a dialogue to establish trust, transparency and connection. Remember, you can also leverage your social media to keep everyone in the loop.

We have also created a section in our Forums to provide a platform for the seasonal / Jobs In Great Places community to gather and share. We’d love to see you there, and it’s another great opportunity to disseminate your operational updates with other seasonal employers as well as the job seeker community who is eager to hear from you.

Visit the Covid Forum

We are thinking of all of you, your families, communities, and colleagues in these difficult times. We will get through this together.