The time between Thanksgiving and New Years is viewed by many as the busiest time of the year. I know it is for my husband who is a Retail Store Manager. But, on the hiring front it is also perceived as the worst time to try to find a job. Job seekers think employers simply don’t have time to interview and hire someone new or they have no more money left at the end of the year to hire anyone. I am here to tell you that this perception is a myth.
As we head into the final months of the year, I am gearing up for my busy season. If a company has a position open right now, there is a real push to fill that need and have that person start in December or by the beginning of January. I am also getting hiring requests from my employers with their first quarter hiring budgets. In order to fill a tough-to-find opening by February, companies need to open these positions in November or December since it may take several weeks to fill these roles.
If the key decision makers are working through the holiday season, they will most likely want to take advantage of the season slowdown in the office to make some critical hiring decisions. In other cases, the money budgeted for certain hires will “go away” if they don’t fill the need by year end. Hiring managers will beg for qualified candidates and clear their schedules to make time for interviews.
Now, interviewing and hiring can be pretty tricky during this season since a lot of people take vacations and are not in the office. You need to make sure the key decision makers are going to be available to interview candidates so that all hiring decisions can be made during this time. You don’t want to have to wait for a candidate to meet with one last person who won’t be back in the office until January.
As a job seeker, you must try to take advantage of this opportunity. You might have more flexibility to interview during this time since you are taking your own vacation or your company closes down for a week. There usually are not as many people who are sending resumes and trying to schedule meetings with the key decision makers. Now is the time to set yourself apart and get their attention. Don’t wait until January when everyone else will be sending in their resumes to be reviewed. Hiring managers might actually have more time to review your resume and interview you now while your competition might be on a family vacation at Disney World!
Don’t let the holiday hiring slowdown myth interfere with your job or candidate search just because you think that it’s the holidays and “no one is hiring”. Get a jump on your 2015 hiring goals now.
Michelle Coviello joined HireNetworks as a Director of Business Development in December 2002 and opened their Charlotte office in 2006. With over fifteen years’ experience in the executive search business, Michelle prides herself with a proven track record in developing new business and providing exceptional service to both her clients and candidates. Michelle has conducted extensive search work within the information technology industry with a focus on programming, operations, and administration as well as technology sales positions. Prior employers include DCRI, a national personnel and employment services company, and the Sapient Corporation, a Cambridge, MA based software consulting firm. She is also a founding member and currently serves as President of the Charlotte Regional Technology Executives Council (CRTEC). Michelle received a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Economics from Boston College and lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and two children.