The Nightmare After Christmas: How to avoid the January hiring frenzy

Every January, it’s the same thing right? We see it as the basis for new TV adverts, all over Facebook feeds and whispered frantically at the gym, which has suddenly blossomed into life after weeks of being long forgotten in the run up to Christmas. 

New Year, New Me.

Yes, January 1^st comes along and suddenly we decide to change the habits of a lifetime and swear that this year we will drink less/stop smoking/eat more healthily, only to find one’s self surrounded by empty Celebrations wrappers – all Bounty by this time of course – gym membership cancelled and that cheap bottle of red from some forgotten relative totally empty come January 17^th.

For some people that’s where it ends, but for many new year means new job. Each January, millions of Brits will start sending out CVs in the hopes of securing a new position and in turn, businesses will advertise thousands of new positions culminating in what Reed refer to as ‘Massive Monday’ – the first working Monday of the year which coincides with a huge increase in job applications.

So what can businesses do to avoid the frenzy?

Let’s start with the staff you already have. Are they happy in their jobs? According to this year’s IIP employee sentiment report, one in four Brits are unhappy in their work, a feeling they put down to lack of career progression, poor working hours and pay. Whilst we’re not suggesting a companywide pay rise, now could be a good time to see how your rates of pay compare with the industry standard. After all, 44 per cent claim that a small pay increase would boost their happiness at work. It’s worth making sure that your employees know they have opportunities for advancement before the new year. 

Next up is something any good Scout knows: be prepared. One reason for the influx of job applications in January is the sheer volume of new roles being advertised. If you know your January budget includes room for new hires, start thinking about how to find those people now. In the midst of the skills shortage, gig economy workers especially benefit from a candidate-driven market, so be sure to plan for any projects ahead of time. The beginning of the year is incredibly busy for recruiters too, so if you’re using an agency you could benefit from starting your candidate search in November or December.

Inevitably, you can do all of the right things and still find yourself needing to recruit in January, make sure you know how to reach the right candidates. If you’ve been struggling to fill a position, then the amount of people looking to make a change might work for you, but you’re also likely to see more irrelevant and ill-fitting applications. Make sure your job ads are unique, concise and realistic so that the people applying are right for the role you are advertising. That way, whilst you might not totally avoid the frenzy, you’ll surely escape unscathed.