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Does Seasonality in the Job Market Exist?

06 September 2017

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There’s a view in the world of recruitment that from month to month, season to season, the time of year has a huge sway over hiring patterns. A sense that employment in the summer can be marred by fewer roles, high annual leave and slower processes. That looking too late on in the year will yield less results as companies prepare for the holiday period, festivities and pre-Christmas slowdown. But how true is the notion? And to what extent should it dictate how you approach the job market?

While there’s no doubt that issues like annual leave can affect hiring decisions on a practical level, we’d like to dispel the myth that seasonality influences overall employment strategies. We know this because Oliver James is living proof that an opposing trend exists.

For the last three years, we have hit record numbers of permanent placements across all offices during July and August, proving just how busy both ourselves and our clients are throughout the summer. September and October continue in much the same way for us, since any general shortfall is offset by huge recruitment drives within the industry as a whole. And far from slowing down towards winter, December is one of our busiest periods, as clients seek to finalise their placements before they close for Christmas. Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the back end of Q4 is a great time to hire or be hired, with our jobs to placements ratio remaining consistently high across all markets.  

No matter what, it’s highly unlikely that a business’ employment needs will change due to the time of year. Equally, postponing a job search based on the concern that certain periods are quiet could mean missing out on some excellent opportunities. You might even come to the market at the same time as other candidates who have made the same assumption, thus creating more competition for yourself.

Whether you’re a prospective client or candidate, contact Oliver James today – and explore our other posts for more insights like this.

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