December is one of those bittersweet months. It’s a time for reflection and celebration, while simultaneously demanding us to look ahead. The new year is inching its way closer, but, it’s not yet here.

So, grab your notebook, double click a fresh document on your desktop, or grab your dry erase board and let’s make our December recruitment checklist to make the most of the days we have left in 2022.  

Let’s zoom out for a few minutes. 

Here's how recruiters can best spend their December: 

1. Review what worked, uncover what didn't. 

What goals did you set for yourself this year? What metrics were you working towards? As we all know, recruiting has been a bit of a cluster this year, which has demanded that we pivot when we have to, and stay very agile at the same time.   

What did you accomplish this year that you didn’t plan to? 

What KPI shifted and was successful? 

Which creative approach failed that you’ll do differently next year? 

What story is your data telling you? 

The best thing about these kinds of checklists is that there’s no wrong answers or failures that define 2022. There are just learned perspectives that we can carry over into 2023. 

2. Get personal. 

One thing that we seemingly forget about recruitment is that it’s personal. It’s human. It’s emotional. It’s gut-wrenching at times. It’s filled with both tension and desire that we pack into a “process” and move on from. Recruitment is impacting real people with real desires, needs, hopes, dreams, and futures. So, let’s reflect on that.  

Who’d you hire this year? Reach back out! Check in. Stay in conversation. Learn their story and how it evolved. We call our hires “success stories”, yet we rarely learn the middle and end of their stories. And if you can’t reach out to them, send a note to their employers.  

Our jobs are part of who we are as people. So, why do we ignore their impact and existence after the hire? They still very much define our world in some way, shape, or form.  

You’d be surprised what you’ll learn (and take into your 2023 strategy) by just checking in with candidates you’ve worked with. 

3. Research what's coming. 

Any good recruiting organization knows that preparing for what’s next (industry trends, market shifts, compliance changes, etc.) is half of our job. We are constantly learning new ways to set our organizations, our people, and our roles up for success.  

U.S.-based companies are falling short of their hiring goals right now. Why? Keep doing the research.  

What avenues are companies taking that are failing?  

What channels are candidates engaging on? 

What skills are needed for the new year? 

December can feel like a blur. But it can also serve as a unique opportunity to take a few breaths, pause our strategies, and unlearn and relearn how we can make a stronger impact in 2023.