'The job is yours — in a year'

To avoid missing the opportunity to load up on top talent, many companies are turning to new and interesting hiring practices.
One example: Some employers are hiring workers now, when there’s an abundance of candidates on the market, but letting them start in six months or a year, when (hopefully) the company can pay them.
Deferred start dates are becoming more common, especially among consulting firms, law firms and banks, the Economist reports. Do candidates accept the offers?
In some cases, they have a financial incentive to do so. Credit Suisse, for example, gives candidates six months’ pay when they agree to wait a year before they start working.
Other employers, though, defer start dates without any pay incentive. For some applicants, the situation may look bleak enough that they’ll accept any offer they can get. In other cases, it may be an option candidates willingly accept so they can take time to travel or do volunteer work.
However, many could be reluctant to accept, in case the economy gets worse and their job is eliminated during the waiting period.
Employers should have similar concerns. A year or even six months is a long time, and there’s no guarantee the candidate won’t get an immediate offer in the meantime.
What do you think? Is a deferred start date a good way to take advantage of a large applicant pool, or is it too risky for both employer and employee? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below.