The holiday season is a unique time of year from a recruiting standpoint. On one hand, professionals are often on a break from their current jobs and may be evaluating their long-term professional goals. Conversely, potential candidates and internal staff often have conflicting schedules, making it difficult to coordinate interviews and keep momentum going.

As this year’s holiday season kicks off, there are a few things employers should consider in terms of their hiring strategies.

The holidays seem to arrive earlier every year. Before you know it, your employees will be inundated with out-of-town guests, holiday travel, meal planning and gift shopping. Get ahead of the distractions with these tips to make sure your team stays on task for a productive holiday season.

It’s no secret the actuarial world has been facing a mid-level talent gap. In a white paper last year, “The Actuarial Talent Challenge: Combatting the Mid-Level Gap,” we examined some of the causes for this gap and ways insurers were working to close it. As we near the end of 2019, we’re taking a fresh look at the trends impacting the actuarial world and this still very relevant talent challenge.

Professional development is a vital component of employee engagement, retention and career satisfaction. Training magazine found U.S. companies spent about $87.6 billion on training and development in 2018. Amazon alone recently announced it’s investing an average of $7,000 per employee for voluntary training programs. As companies begin to reinvest in employees’ individual growth, it’s important these initiatives also contribute to larger business goals.

Insurance recruiting can be a delicate balance. On one hand, you’re trying to learn more about your candidate and express interest. On the other, you don’t want to seem as if you are desperate to fill a role, or the position itself is undesirable. As we approach Halloween, it’s time to take a step back and make sure you’re not “spooking” your candidates.