Nov 15, 2010

Hiring during the Holidays

Posted by Wendy Weber

Interesting that this issue has been raised by both employers and job seekers during the past week…

Two different clients asked if it was better to postpone initiating a search until after the New Year. I told them both the same thing: I can’t imagine why.

If a company has an immediate need, there is no reason to put off a search. An unemployed job seeker welcomes the opportunity to interview immediately. And chances are an employed job seeker can slip away for interviews during the holiday season more easily than during the usual workweek. With work schedules a little lighter at this time of year, it is an excellent time to conduct a more relaxed interview process.

From the job seekers perspective, there is also no reason to hold off exploring options until after the holidays. Even those who need to stay through the end of the year to receive bonuses need not worry about deferring their search. They are not likely to be giving their two weeks notice any sooner than December 15th, which is only one month away! (The interview process generally takes a month in a best case scenario.)

As far as initiating a search during the holiday season, there is no time like the present!

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