Why Hiring During the Holidays Is Actually a Good Idea
It’s November. The fiscal year is wrapping up and soon the days will be filled with finalizing budgets, sending and collecting outstanding invoices, and preparing tax documents. Holiday parties are starting to pop up on the calendar, and the office may already seem a bit quieter as the phones ring less often. It is a time to reflect on the coming year’s plans and improvements.
And it’s also a time to bring on staff for next year. For job seekers, the prevailing wisdom is that the holidays are a terrible time to look for work. There are too many distractions and people are unresponsive, or so they think. But this is not entirely accurate. We are human and naturally procrastinate, and sometimes the holidays are the best time if a manager plans well. Chances are an open position has been sitting for a long time unfilled.
Instead of delaying the hiring process, managers have good reason to search for, interview, and hire new employees during the holidays. If you are in need of a new employee in your organization, the holidays are a strategically wise time to invest in recruiting.
Review those resumes and make the calls
Fewer people in the office means fewer interruptions and fewer meetings. It’s a great time to finally get to those resumes you’ve collected for that position you’ve been neglecting. Let’s face it–no matter how important it may seem, most of us don’t like the hiring process: the time required, the sometimes stilted conversations. It’s a big project, though, and the quieter office time is ideal for narrowing down the list of prospects.
In addition to focusing on staffing needs, the holidays offer a greater likelihood of prospects being available for interviews. If they are currently employed elsewhere, the holiday season may make it easier for them to find time for an interview without disrupting their current work schedule. Since one of the challenges with hiring is matching up interview times, the ease of scheduling makes this a good time of year for setting up interviews.
Be prepared for the new year’s financial goals
Maybe you’ve had an opening for a while and are finally getting around to it. Or perhaps the new budget is finally approved and you have the approval to expand your staff. The plan starts in January, so hiring now ensures greater success for the next year.
Hitting aggressive performance goals is a challenge, and if you are depending on an expansion of your staff to successfully meet your goals, this time of year is ideal for building your human assets. If you wait until the first quarter of the year to initiate hiring, you will lose nearly 25% of the new year’s productivity for that position. That is significant if the next budget considers what was spent previously. Use the budget wisely and fully with timely hiring at year-end.
In addition, fewer top-level managers travel during the holidays, so it is easier to obtain approval signatures, complete HR paperwork, and onboard employees. Hitting the pavement running in the new year is a real advantage, so be the manager whose department gets rolling with new talent and production goals by being prepared when the calendar turns to January.
Holiday hiring can be a mutual gift
Looking for the right candidate may be tricky and time-consuming, but job searching is hard work, too. For job seekers, it can seem like there are few job prospects at a time when gift costs and holiday expenses are higher, and this can give those looking for a job a sense of urgency–and of relief when they find a job.
For hiring managers, getting the position filled can also be a relief. The stress of knowing that a hiring project is looming can take the joy out of an otherwise joyful time of year. Filling the position takes a load off their shoulders and frees them up to enjoy a bit of holiday reverie before the new year storm of activity begins. Giving someone employment feels good, too.
For you, it is a gift that will pay off in high morale and readiness on the January start date. That works well for your organization. And for the newly hired, knowing that the new year holds the promise of employment and stability makes the holidays extra special. And all that goodness comes by recruiting and hiring during the holidays.
So don’t delay. Start recruiting and conducting interviews now. The holidays are an excellent time to review your new employee prospects and to hire, maximizing your productivity and progress toward future goals. It is a wise strategy that will prepare your organization for increased success at the start of the new year.
