5 Reasons Why Successful Leaders Hire In December

And Why You Should Too.

Now the COVID-19 vaccine has reached its climax and gradually we begin looking to the future. Many are thinking about a Christmas pitstop. Beyond that, the thought of 2021 brings a fresh breath of hope, perhaps taken without the need of a face-covering. The pharmaceutical industry brushes off an unforgettable year and starts to realign with past goals. There are still a plethora of diseases that need highly skilled employees to fabricate therapies, in the interest of getting ahead of the curve and investing in a brighter future. AL Solutions looks at five reasons success leaders choose December as a time to gain traction in recruitment.

1. Competition

Admittedly, COVID-19 has been a catalyst to its success, yet Zoom, Microsoft Teams and others, offer a wealth of benefits to users. Let’s say you have to attend an interview for a new role several miles away on a Thursday afternoon (around 6 pm). With a Zoom call, rather than a face to face meeting, you don’t have to worry about travel, and if you can get home before 6 pm, you don’t have to take any time off. You’ve saved time and money. It’s proven to be reliable, and if the employee has to make a last-minute change, it won’t disrupt your schedule too much.

2. Agencies

Competition in companies means competition in agencies. By contacting your recruiter in December, you qualify for their full attention on a new opening before the rest. Come January recruitment agencies will be battling over candidates, picking up lots of roles and taking no prisoners. The busiest time of the year means higher fees. It also means agencies will be more likely to turn their noses up at hard to fill vacancies. What’s worrying for you (the client) is rejection might be a good thing! As untrustworthy agencies might accept your vacancies, only to forget about them in the pursuit of a quick win. If you have plans to fill a niche position in Q1, it might be wise to ignore the Christmas hampers until you’ve filled it.

3. Notice Periods

The timeless maxim ‘begin with the end in mind’ rings truer than the Christmas bells in December. It doesn’t take a genius to know the average notice period is roughly three months. Meaning you might have big plans for 2021, but if these involve new recruits, you’ll be ready set going nowhere until they join. If you intend to integrate, train and prosper from talent joining your organisation, you’d be prudent to get started now. A wise recruiter/talent acquisition worker knows all too well the number of hurdles in place before a candidate is over the finish line, and has accepted your offer.

4. Projects Finishing

Don’t fear; it’s not all doom and gloom. As we reach December projects finish and we postpone new ones until the new year. What this allows for is more time to interview, and for HR and hiring managers to precisely align their needs. December can recalibrate the hiring process and maximise the potential for a productive start to Q1. Discussing hiring and speaking with candidates now will ensure the healthy relationship between departments.

5. Availability

The ending of projects and room for discussion between departments brings us nicely to our final point. Candidates will have more availability too. Having spent long hours working on COVID trials and with the restriction of travel preventing many holidays this year; it’s likely many candidates will have annual leave spare. Coupled with the slowing of projects, you have a less rushed process which can guarantee the right match. 

Bonus

It’s Christmas! Advent kicks in, and so does the fest period. Our email signatures change from the cold heartless ‘regards’ to the warm hug of ‘Merry Christmas’. Generally speaking, people are in better moods around this time of year. Why not build that rapport before the cold clarity of January sets in and bites away at our fingertips.

Thanks for reading!

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