Why Your Business Shouldn’t Give in to The Q4 Recruitment Lull

Right around the beginning of November most businesses slow down their recruitment and some even bring it to a halt as they come to the end of the year. The reason for this is that they try to finish up as much as they can in the last couple of months and feel that bringing on new starters can wait until the start of the new year. New year, new hires! But is that really such a good idea? Should you halt your recruitment in Q4?

The IT market in the UK is notoriously hard to recruit for, particularly for Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce. With such a blatant talent shortage that affects a lot of businesses, hiring opportunities are missed and this can only be a bad thing. There are many reasons why organisations should keep their recruitment on full-speed, but we’ve shortlisted 4 of the most important reasons to bring new people on board even in Q4.

1. Start off the New Year with Hires

Why wait for a new year to start and then look for the right talent for your business? If you spend the last bit of the year interviewing and bringing on someone new, then they’ll have plenty of time to learn the ropes and start off with a bang. As a hiring manager instead of having your schedule clogged up with interviews and training in the first couple of months, you can get stuck into all the projects that will drive the business forward.

2. Candidates

With the passing of another year, a good number of candidates start reassessing their priorities and reflecting on what they’ve been doing in the last 12 months. Circumstances change in their personal life as well as work one or they simply want a new challenge after a period of being in the same place. Most candidates will prefer to either start before the holidays or right after them so they have time to accommodate to the team, to the metrics of upcoming projects and so on. People start thinking of fresh starts during November and December, if there are options for them to grab a hold of they will.

3. One Up on Your Competition

Why wait until after the holiday period to bring on new hires when you’ll undoubtedly be engaged in a tug of war bidding game? If you focus on recruiting while other businesses slow down in that area you will have more candidates to take your pick from. Permanent Microsoft Dynamics candidates are hard to find at the best of times, so why not beat your competition to the mark? It only makes sense that in a highly competitive market where businesses fight tooth and nail for talent, you’d give yourself a breather by bringing in new people before the end of the new year and then relax knowing that your upcoming projects won’t be delayed for lack of hires. Q4 may even turn out to be the best time of the year for your business to recruit.

4. Consider Notice Periods

Many hiring managers may not really consider notice periods which will most likely delay new starters anyway. Depending on seniority, notice periods can range anywhere from two weeks to three months! The recruiting process always takes longer than most people think even if they are seasoned hiring managers, so could you truly afford to have a new starter four-five months into the new year? Most businesses have big plans for their upcoming year, with new projects on the horizon, targets and ambitions, so if you’re faced with delays due to an under-resourced team it may not be the best way to hit those milestones.

Recruitment should be an ongoing thing and although it may be easy to get distracted by everything else that’s happening with the close of the year, a lack of focus on new hires in Q4 may have a big impact on your business later on. So, don’t give in to the seasonal lull that affects a lot of businesses and you’ll find yourself ahead of the game.

ShapeIT is here to make your life easier much like Santa’s little helpers, so if you’re struggling to find the time to juggle everything that’s going on, get in touch with us on 01618394330; we’re sure we can help!

To find out how we can help your business attract the best talent, then click here.