Starting a recruitment process in December – Madness, or actually, quite sensible?

As we approach December, many would be forgiven for thinking that now is not the best time start a recruitment process.

On the face of it, at this time of year, that would make sense. I have come to expect (and enjoy) the inevitable slow down that comes around Christmas, as we get closer to the big day. In my line of work you can usually plan for a break in the summer and also at Christmas, in between Christmas and New Year without too much disruption.

The HR jobs marketplace, like many others, experiences peaks and downturns. Our commercial practise which partners businesses to hires into Sales and Operations also experiences peaks and downturns but it is less marked.

These ups and downs closely match school holiday patterns. This is not news I hear you say! After all, the demographic and life stages of decision makers often means that holiday periods around school breaks involve holidays for themselves. Furthermore, people in general, are not as focused on work decisions at Christmas or just before their summer holidays. Conversely, in all of our markets, periods directly after summer holidays and Christmas periods are usually very busy. People are more focused to hire after a holiday. They come back with a backlog of workload pressures; gaps in teams hurt! They are back in work now for an extended period, no distractions, refreshed… so let’s interview! So… October and November, January, February and March are usually very busy. It is also fair to say that when people on holiday, they reflect, and then often decide to make changes.

However, December (particularly early December) is actually a very good time to get processes started.

Why?

Well in my experience, those that might think about a move in the New Year are often mindful of their notice period. They will be highly re-active to roles that are available now and that reflection that I talk about above is actually usually happening now as their work demands are peaking and tailing off for the festive period. Many plan to start something new in the early New Year and would actually love to get that sorted before Christmas!

I have also noticed that people are, in the main, easier to reach in early December compared to other months. They may scroll a little more than usual. They are spending a little less time in meetings and ‘Teams’ calls – they answer the phone. So, it is very likely that we can contact and engage with identified talent more easily in December compared to other months.

So if you have a vacancy, making a noise and a splash about it now can really help your role to stand out – it is after all, a less busy space for your vacancy to be sitting in for the next few weeks.

If you are someone thinking about a move, then actually, it is a really good time to re-connect with your recruiter and update them. We recruiters are starting to gear up for a break for sure. But in the main, we will be available for most of December. Most of us are quite extroverted and social – with the added festive spirit you will easily convince us to share coffee, drinks or lunches. Book us in.

In your normal weekly workload, as things at work slowdown, you might have more time to perfect your CV. This is a timely and tricky process. Do it now if you are thinking about a move in 2023! Reach out to us if you want help with it. But don’t stop there! Share it with your recruiter and have a chat with them, get on to their radar for the New Year.

Also, you may be surprised, but roles that are on the market now, will usually move very quickly compared to roles that come to market in other months. Christmas holidays act as a deadline and particularly over recent years I have seen vacancies appoint rapidly when they act in the early weeks of December.

So, in a few weeks absolutely focus on the family, heat up those mince pies, relax and be Merry. In the meantime, take some positive steps towards hiring into your team in December or making that 2023 move – the timing might actually surprise you!