Myth of the Merry
Slow Down
Victoria Butt
Across two countries, four industries and over 11 years, I have seen the recruitment market consistently buoyant
between the months of October and December. Why does everyone think it will slow down?
I have closed placements on Christmas Eve with a glass of bubbles in my hand and a very happy camper on
the other end of the phone, I have closed placements the week before Christmas and I have even closed
placements the day before the Christmas closing party! I see it every year, the hiring market seems to ramp up
before Christmas, not down!
The biggest question is where does this perception come from? So why do people feel that after Melbourne
cup, the weather heats u p and the silly season starts that everyone is on the wind down? Why do applications via
career websites drop by 30%? Why do professionals decide that October/November is too late to look for a role
and hold out until after Christmas?
For most of my clients, they are definitely not in wind down mode; in fact, this time is a critical point in the race
to recruit the right team member and here are a few of the reasons why;
1
Psychological
Hiring managers want all their
ducks in a row before Christmas
so they can start fresh next year
with a full team. Hiring managers
like their new starters to be part
of the festive season, as it's a
great opportunity for them to
meet stakeholders and integrate
within the wider team.
2
Sign-off
challenge
Taking leave in January seems
to be imbedded into the culture
of Christmas in Australia! School
holidays in general can slow
business decisions, however
in the month of January, hiring
decisions virtually halt! In these
economic times, 2-3 additional
signatures are required by senior
management before an offer is
made. Thus sign-off is far easier
when executives and senior
management are in the office!
3
Soft and hard
deadlines
The turn of the New Year
seems to represent project,
budget, team and business unit
deadlines etc. It is often used to
get products launched, websites
changed and promotions/
campaigns ready. 'Staffing up'
to deliver these projects can be
a short/mid or long term hire.
Hiring managers get creative
with their capex budget and
short term staff can also be kept
through to financial year end
and onwards.
I'd encourage applicants who are looking to secure a new role to go hard until 24th December as this is when
hiring is at its peak! After this point, enjoy the next 2 months off as the recruitment market is awakening later
and later in these new economic times.