What's the best time of the year to recruit for new staff?

What's the best time of the year to recruit new staff?

This is a question we get asked a lot from companies, so I'll try to help:

The best answer I can give is when it’s right for your company. H

But how do you know?

You might want to invest in staff for the future or have gaps to fill, however, one good answer is when the loss of potential business or the gain of potential business is greater than the new staff costs.

You should also have long-term strategies and talent pools. Be in conversation with or market to your sector before you need it.

But let’s say you need a contingent hire, do you wait? The answer can vary year to year and like most things in life, the answer is nuanced. The quality of candidates is hard to specify but there are some patterns we can look at for the highest numbers of applicants:

Apprentices and Trainees

Higher numbers: April - October

Lower numbers: November - March

Graduate schemes and University applications start early. Feel free to plan during the second half of the year (September and October) for next year’s school leavers.

School leavers: These job seekers will also often become more active over the summer months once their focus is away from school and can actually start a role. Note, that some of the more proactive students will have already been looking and will have offers.

Job movers

Higher Numbers: January to March and May – July

Lower Numbers: August – December

During Recessions: In a bad economy, as you would expect, candidates will especially move for salary, sector depending. Consider investing in the best talent during this time, plus there are fewer competing options for those candidates.

During Economic Booms: Candidates may feel more confident to change career paths and pursue a role they want to do/passion-based. Salaries may be a little less of an issue and more jobs may result in a relative lack of candidate options.

If you would like any more support, give us a call.