The holidays may seem like a slow time to recruit, but the truth is engagement from clinicians is often quite high during the holidays – they, too, have some time off and are away from the usual grind. So, whatever you do, don’t halt your recruiting efforts during the end of the year. The holidays are also a perfect time to get a little more personal with your candidates. Here are a few ideas.

1. Mail a card and include a $5 gift card for coffee. Yes, mailing a handwritten card is still a great way to stand out and add a personal touch. You could even make your own card (for free) with tools like AdobeSpark or Canva. For an added boost, include a $5 coffee card and a message that goes something like this: “I'd love to share a warm cup of pumpkin spice coffee with you, but since time and distance makes it hard, go ahead and enjoy some holiday cheer on me!”
2. Send a small window scraper (with your name or company logo and phone number) that your candidates can keep in their wallet. You can buy them in bulk for about $1.50 each if you get your whole team to join in.
3. Make a video greeting card. Videos are very engaging, and a free greeting card is simple to make. There are thousands of apps that make it easy, or just do a video selfie with your personal message and send to candidates! Here’s a list of some of the best greeting card apps. You can even send a video from your mobile phone to their email. Techwalla explains how right here.
4. Make a small donation to a healthcare-related charity in your candidate's name. If you’re not sure which organization to donate to, check out an online website like Charity Watch or Charity Navigator. If you’d like to send traditional holiday cards, Cards for Causes donates 20% of card proceeds to the charity of your choice.
5. Send a thank you note instead of a traditional holiday card. We all get cards full of “Season’s Greetings” so a big thank you would stand out. Not sure what to say in a card? Hallmark has some ideas to get those creative juices flowing.
6. Create a photo collage of some of the things that your candidate likes or that you have in common. There are a lot of apps and online collage makers out there, including these top 5 recommended by TechRadar.
7. Enclose a scented sachet packet in your holiday card. It’s an inexpensive way to stand out from every other card, and the sense of smell is a powerful thing that triggers memory, emotions, and more. You can find holiday-scented sachets at almost any drug store, or you'll find them on Amazon for about $3.

Want more ideas on how to stay ahead of the recruiting game this holiday season? We invite you to download our Holiday Recruiting and 2022 Prep Checklist.