4 Holiday Hiring Tips to Keep Your Talent Strategy on Track
The holiday season is a great time to attract the quality talent your organization needs. The end of the year often brings a sense of winding down: holiday parties, year-end reports and planning for the coming days off. But for forward-thinking companies, December isn’t a time to hit pause on hiring—it’s an opportunity to keep up your hiring momentum and get ahead.
4 Tips for December Hiring
1. Top performers are more open to headhunting calls
As the end of the year rolls around, it’s human nature to reflect. We think about our wins and losses of the past year, then we look ahead and set goals for the following year. This is a prime headhunting mindset. Top performers are more willing to hear about an exciting opportunity that could propel their career forward faster and further.
2. Candidates have more time to interview (and so do you)
With the exception of certain industries that ramp up during the holidays, December is slower for many companies. As the year wraps up, there’s often less work, less pressure and more free time. That means both you, and your shortlist of top candidates, have more time to interview and get to know each other. Take advantage of the ‘festive spirit’ and woo top performers with warmer interactions like a leisurely lunch or relaxing eggnog latte.
3. There’s less competition for talent
“The early bird gets the worm” is very relevant to holiday hiring. According to ERE Media, there may be 35% fewer job postings in December, trying to attract the same volume of job seekers. While your competitors are taking their foot off the gas, you’ll be cherry-picking top talent from the market. Fewer job postings means your opportunities stand out more prominently, and less competition means a lower risk of losing out during the hiring process. So swoop on in, early bird!
4. Hiring now gives you a January contributor
January is busy as we all play catch-up after the holidays. Managers and department heads have big dreams for the new year and often want to kick January off with new employees on their teams. But it’s called a hiring process for a reason: It takes time to source, interview, negotiate with, and onboard the right candidate. Secure and onboard your new employees now, so they can hit the ground running in the year new, ready to contribute to your organizational goals! If you wait until January to start looking, you won’t see any return until at least well into Q1.
Being a proactive hiring manager pays off. Don’t take your foot off the gas in December; snatch up that top talent and start the new year with that all-star team you dream of. Many candidates love to sign an offer in at the end of the year—what a great gift to have the holidays free to enjoy with their families rather than stressing about their career!
We Can Help Find You Top Talent
At The Headhunters, recruiting is what we do, no matter the season! If you’re looking to hire during the holidays, get in touch and let our expert Recruitment Consultants assist! Our dedicated team is ready to help you:
- Identify and engage top-tier talent during this unique recruitment window
- Maximize any unused recruitment budgets that expire at year-end
- Streamline your recruitment process to maximize efficiency
- Provide insights into market trends and candidate expectations
- Develop a strategic hiring pipeline for Q1 and beyond
Call us at 1.888.887.4868 or fill out our request talent form and we’ll connect you with a specialized Recruitment Consultant.
