Does #MarchMadness impact hiring decisions?

Before you scoff at the idea, really think about it.  Or walk down the hall to see if anyone quickly changes their webpage or slides a piece of paper quickly under their desk when you walk by them.  Many studies have shown how much work productivity is lost during the basketball tournament season.  This year you can add in St. Patrick's Day and spring break, and it should be quite an interesting week to see how many people call in "sick" at any point in time.......

I am here to argue that you could actually use this all to your advantage.  Here's why:

1)  With this much going on outside of the office, oftentimes the office atmosphere that is left behind is a little more loose and informal.  Which means you might be able to catch a hiring manager or Human Resources professional in a really good mood as they catch up on emails and pending projects.  If a hire is imminent, they may be willing and able to spend a little more time with you discussing the intricacies of the job.

2)  Other candidates are gone and distracted right now.  So if you make yourself more available and following up on postings or interview de-briefs, you are likely ahead of the curve.  While other candidates that are being considered are watching basketball, going to parades, and disappearing for a few days, you are staying on top of your search and hopefully on top of the pile of resumes.

3)  Use some bracketology to break the ice.  Seriously.  Even if you aren't a huge basketball fan, you should be able to Google some real basic tournament info.  Maybe you can find out that the hiring manager is a fan of a particular team.  If so, they are probably more than willing to tell you all about how their favorite team is poised to make a run in the tournament.

4)  Mention something much more valuable to the hiring process than basketball or Irish holidays - the nearing end of the first quarter.  I guarantee you that hiring managers are looking at the calendar and planning their staffing needs accordingly.  If they have a need they likely were hoping to add within the first three months of the year.  With only a few precious days left before the second quarter, they may be ready to put their foot on the gas pedal.  Help them with that, again while many other candidates are off doing other things.

Here's to hoping both your brackets and your interviews get to the Finals!