It is widely acknowledged and well documented by the Office of National Statistics that Christmas and New Year will have an impact on recruitment activity. How that should be approached however is not always so widely agreed upon.
There can be a temptation to rush recruitment drives and hiring activities to get people on-board and desired head counts in place for January. It certainly has a nice feel to it, having everything in place to start the year with a fresh and exciting new role or team member. Rushing decisions though is rarely a good idea or leads to finding the right person for your requirement, organisation or culture.
Equally however, simply waiting for the New Year to recruit in an attempt to avoid the pressures and distractions of a busy December may not serve your purposes either. The festive period offers us all that precious head space to reflect on what is really important in our lives and where and who we work with is a part of that picture.
It can therefore be a really valuable time to explore new opportunities, roles or organisations and so to be closely connected and engaged with our professional networks. So if you have recruitment requirements over the coming months, or an eye on the market yourself, remember not to rush, but don’t simply put it off either.
The festive season can be a fantastic time for recruitment if approached in the right way and with the increasing prevalence of social media and extensive communication networks, just because your office may close over Christmas and New Year, your recruitment activities do not need to in quite the same way.
