Summer vacation is over, and companies are gearing up for the final quarter of the year. For many, this period is the busiest. Retail companies are preparing for the Christmas season, while others are developing business plans for the upcoming year. If you’ve identified the hiring needs within your team, but are unsure whether it’s too late to hire, here are four reasons why Q4 is an excellent time to welcome new employees!
Preparations for the next year
Companies that plan to scale up next year are already laying the groundwork. To achieve their targets, they require new team members, particularly in areas like Business Development, Finance, and Customer Service. However, finding perfect candidates takes time. Even after identifying the right person for your team, they may not be immediately available. Some companies have notice periods of up to three months.
Furthermore, new employees need time to acclimate to the team, company culture, and expectations. This is a time-consuming process and before you know it, Christmas is here. This onboarding process is time-consuming, and before you know it, the Christmas season arrives. Effective hiring managers understand that the majority of onboarding should occur before the holiday rush. The festive atmosphere, while exciting, can impact productivity, and operations tend to slow down.
Post-vacation resolutions
The summer holidays are over and people are back at their desks. Some of them are ready for a career change. Monsterboard reports that an astonishing 70% of job searches start right after vacation. The overwhelming feeling of going back to a routine can be too much for some people. In some cases, time spent on vacation is used to reflect on personal values and goals. Questions like “Could I do more for my career?” or “Do I truly find satisfaction in my job?” pop up, and new opportunities start to look tempting. After a summer holiday, people are more open to change and if you are looking for new employees this is the perfect time to start hiring.
Competition for talent
Of course, many hiring managers are also back from vacation and are actively looking for new colleagues. This means that if you step into the game too late, there is a great chance that the best candidates may already have been taken. In-demand job seekers have plenty of job opportunities and competing for the best available talent can be challenging. Companies that invest heavily in employer branding and talent acquisition will attract the most qualified candidates.
Achieving Newell’s hiring goals in the Netherlands with 64 staff members: How we’ve successfully built a diverse, multilingual team and overcome high-volume hiring challenges.
Remaining budget
The end of the year is approaching and preparations for closing the fiscal year are just around the corner. This indicates that using the remaining recruitment budget is necessary. For HR managers, the last quarter is especially busy as they need to focus on administrative tasks and yearly bonuses. However, in today’s market, job seekers have high expectations regarding their future employers. A job offer has to not only satisfy financial requirements but also provide opportunities for self-development. The candidate’s experience during the recruiting process has to be at the highest level. Candidates expect a fast and smooth process without delays. A poor experience during the hiring process can lead to the withdrawal of an otherwise great candidate.
With little time left of the year, hiring managers may feel it is too late to hire new team members, and there are other more pressing priorities. However, the last quarter is a great time to hire. Candidates are more open to a change after the summer holiday and they are looking for opportunities – this is the time to capitalize on the ‘autumn movement’ in order to get the most talented people on board.
This is when recruitment agencies can be especially helpful. Finding and qualifying candidates is time-consuming, especially for the more challenging roles such as those requiring specific language skills.
If you are seeking German, French, Dutch, Italian or Spanish speakers or candidates with any other language skills, we have a great network of highly qualified multilingual candidates looking for new opportunities. Contact one of our Business Development colleagues for an informal chat about how we may be able to assist you!
