Dive Brief:

• Hiring freezes can impact any company. But during such a time, it's important to remain connected to candidates and keep the company brand reputation strong, says Steve Bates, writing for the SHRM blog.
• Tom Darrow, principal of recruiting firm Talent Connections in Atlanta told SHRM that it's natural to assume the company is headed for bankruptcy, but that it's important to keep a level head. Recruiters must not panic, but rather stay focused and inform candidates that the hiring freeze is temporary, 
• During the hiring freeze, recruiters may need to focus on talent communities and keep engaging them, but with more long-term goals in mind. Recruiters can also take advantage of hiring freezes at other firms to attract talent away from competitors. 

Dive Insight:

Each year, companies generally take a step back to evaluate staffing budgets and where the company is headed in terms of financials.and new client acquisitions. If things are slow, a temporary hiring freeze is usually put in place to get things back on track. Recruiters can utilize this time to build job seeker communities, solidify relationships with local colleges, and work to secure candidates leaving other firms.

They may also use this time to get more training and improve internal systems for when things pick up again. At the same time, recruiters need to be careful how they communicate a hiring freeze so as to not damage the company brand. A hiring freeze can also be a good time to hire more on-demand workers and independent contractors to fill short-term skill gaps.