Is Chinese New Year the perfect time for posting job vacancies?

Like any new year celebration, the lunar new year gives people a chance to start fresh.

Chinese New Year can be busy recruitment period, as employees may reassess their career goals for the new year.

If increasing your headcount is a priority next year, here are a few reasons for why posting job vacancies over the Chinese New Year period can be advantageous.

What are the benefits of posting job vacancies over Chinese New Year?

Many companies often use this period to begin recruitment campaigns. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for your job vacancies if you can leverage their efforts, but it does mean that you need to be aware of the timing of your own recruitment efforts, and plan accordingly.

As Chinese New Year is a time when candidates (or employees) can feel motivated and inspired at the start of a new year, and this is something you should capitalise on if you’re searching for new talent. It’s particularly important when considering the state of China's job market, which is very much on the side of the jobseeker, and especially so if you’re hiring for a role that is facing a skills shortage, such as cyber-security specialists or talented software developers.

While there’s never really a bad time of the year to post your job vacancies, the main advantage to advertising over Chinese New Year is that it’s the time of year when candidates can be inspired to actively look for a new role or career, as the holiday period is often used as a time for personal reflection. The only downside is that hiring managers will need to be mindful of other companies also looking to take advantage on the good-will that the new year brings, so your job ad needs to be able to stand out.

4 ways to for your job posting to stand out to candidates

When the job market favours the jobseeker, it’s up to the hiring manager to make sure their job ad stands out from the crowd.

The good news is that with a few easy tweaks, you can create a powerful advertisement that will attract the ideal candidate for your role.

1. Know where to post

Exposure is everything, or so the saying goes. It’s important to do your research to know where your candidates are going to be.

Consider the relevant social media platforms for your particular demographic. Don’t exclude newer, non-traditional platforms like Snapchat or Instagram! Many brands are using these new platforms to great success.

Turning to a recruitment expert is another efficient method of finding talent. Robert Half offers a personalised service to help you fill your job vacancies.

2. Talk about the future

Discussing how the role or the candidate is expected to evolve over time is a good indication that the company cares more about the person than the role they will fill, and will be attractive to people looking to stay on-board long-term.

3. Use language that will appeal to your ideal candidate

It sounds obvious, but the language you use is a powerful tool that will attract particular demographics. The style of a job vacancy for a senior banking executive, for example, should read very differently than it would for a cyber-security expert.

Another easy style tip is to make sure the language is personal. Use ‘you’ instead of ‘the candidate,’ as this will make it easier for the reader to picture themselves in the role being described. This is a trick used often by advertising firms in ad copy in order to build rapport with consumers, and the principle holds for job ads as well.

4. Include the salary

Money matters, but salary isn’t just monetary compensation. Consider listing other non-monetary benefits: vacation time, or personal and professional development opportunities, for example.

Not only does this make the process more transparent, but your job ad will also attract the more suitable candidates. If you want to know the right salary range to offer, consider consulting the Robert Half Salary Guide.

Chinese New Year is a time for celebration, but also reflection. Hiring managers should view this period as a time when candidates will be reassessing where they are in their career and leverage the opportunity to increase their headcount. While recruitment is not entirely seasonal, this is a springboard chance for companies to leap ahead when it comes to finding talent in a competitive hiring market.