Here's Why Q4 is a Great Time to Hire

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The holidays are nearing and the end of the year is looming – so why, you might ask, is Q4 a good time to hire?

For starters, according to a forecast conducted by CareerBuilder, 43% of employers planned to hire in Q4 2017, up from 34% in 2016. With businesses catching on to this growing spike in 4th quarter hiring, you can expect to see a spike in A+ candidates on the job hunt during Q4 2018, as well.

Hiring in Q4 is also a great way to invest the remainder of 2018 budgets wisely, and it can be done fast. Many qualified candidates will be preoccupied once the holidays hit, so hiring at the top of Q4 becomes a quick and fluid process, with both companies and candidates as decisive as ever.

Business also slows down in most industries during Q4, making it a great time to train new employees during these slower periods. Just a few weeks can make a big impact in the productivity of a new hire. With trained employees, you can get the New Year’s initiatives started with a bang. New employees will also benefit from being hired before the holiday parties, so they can meet everyone and rapidly integrate into the company culture.

We rounded up advice from recruiters and career experts who agree; Q4 really is the most wonderful time of the year...to hire!

1. Capitalizing on “Use It or Lose It” Budgets

“From a client’s perspective, a new year comes with a lot of new initiatives, Q4 is the time to get the key staff aligned.

Some companies have ‘use it or lose it’ budgets…they need to use up their recruiting budget or they won’t get it again the following year – this also provides a sense of urgency that the recruiter doesn’t have to force.

With the exception of the holiday(s), most staff members are available to meet with the potential hires, unlike in the summer time, when the process can drag out due to key people being on vacation and not able to meet with the candidates. -Colette Hory, Executive Recruiter

2. Passive Candidates Turn into Active Candidates

"Not to be overlooked, many professionals need to complete a certain amount of time with their current employer within the given year in order to receive their yearly bonus.  If candidates are in an industry or salary bracket where bonus’s make up a good amount of their total compensation, though they may want to start looking for a position, they will “wait it out” in order to receive their bonus.  This is a major reason that the fourth quarter will see passive candidates turn into active job seekers.  Successfully hiring these types of candidates will take some higher level negotiating between both parties.  By partnering with a strong recruiter, they can help navigate this process to ensure everyone wins!” -Allyson Cronan Shields, Recruiting Manager

3. The Hiring Process Moves Faster

"Because Q4 is a slower time, it can be easier to coordinate interviews with top talent because their calendars aren't as packed. Take advantage of this time and reach out to your most desirable candidates to see if they're available to schedule an interview." -CyberCoders Executive Recruiter

3. Why Wait?

“Often you hear employers say that they are holding off on start dates until the New Year. My response to that is, ‘Why Wait?” If things slowdown in Q4 and especially the month of December…is there really a better time to train people and get them started ahead of the New Year rush? My strategy is to push them to plan ahead and get an A+ candidate.” -CyberCoders Executive Recruiter

4. More time to train and gear up for the new year

“For companies, bringing on talent in Q4 is a great move!  Most industries will experience a brief slow down freeing up your veteran employees to devote time to developing and training new hires.  It is also a great time to get new hires acclimated to internal processes and procedures before the January 1 kick off hits." -Allyson Cronan Shields, Recruiting Manager

If you think Q4 is a good time to hire, start the process now.