Your natural instincts may tell you that the New Year is the only time people look for a job - that recruiting in December is just crazy. After all, in January, everyone’s enjoyed masses of turkey, tinsel and television; the thought of going back to their current job may finally be the push to browse suitable vacancies. And New Year is the time when businesses assess their staff and resources for the year ahead, isn’t it? You know…new plans, new strategies, and a new determination to fill that position…

Well, not necessarily. January and the New Year may not be the best time to look for a job at all. Right now could prove better for job-seekers to grab their dream job than if they wait a few weeks.

As a recruiter, your instincts may tell you to wait until Santa has got back to the North Pole before you look to fill positions. The trouble is, everyone else has those same instincts too, which means far greater competition come January 1st.

Advice from LoveLocalJobs.com suggests December is the perfect time for job-seekers and recruiters to come together. Longer term, in-house projects are usually completed by this time, which gives employers/managers the space to think strategically about staff provision for new projects on the horizon – staff they’d prefer to be settled, trained, and in place when such projects begin.

It’s the time when the same managers look at whether targets were met throughout that year, and assess where budgets could have been better spent; staffing could prove a significant factor. Being a time when most people wind down, it’s also likely hirers – and employees – have plenty of available time slots for interviews.

In some industries, particularly those that pay large end-of-year bonuses, it’s a point where people commonly announce retirements, career breaks, or just that they themselves are moving on - which subsequently leaves various positions to fill. As the Christmas period is a fantastic time of year for networking, why would anyone wait to get ahead of their competition – particularly if seeking a specific position or niche role? Why let the chat around the buffet table be someone else’s in-road to your perfect job?

As many recruiters will be aware, towards the end of December, many seasonal and temporary jobs come to an end. Though employees in those roles already may wish to be kept on should the opportunity arise, it’s unlikely to be the case for everyone. Those January sales will still need servicing!

Throughout the year, recruiters advise job-seekers to look at their network for any opportunities. But consider how easy it is to reconnect with an old contact at Christmas; it gives people a legitimate and polite excuse to get back in touch before asking for help.

So don’t discount December….instead of spending your time filling bags with Christmas shopping, fill those positions instead!

Fast Recruitment Websites help their clients stand out from the crowd in today’s challenging marketplace. Call us on 01302 288591 for an informal evaluation of your current recruitment website.