Does hiring stop in November and December?

Read time: 2 min

The holiday season is upon us, and 2023 is coming to a close.

“I’m going to take a break and wait until the new year to continue looking for a job”

That’s what I hear from countless job seekers in November and December each year.

Most job seekers pause their job search because they think B2B tech companies stop hiring.

But the hiring doesn’t actually stop.

The truth is hiring slows down a bit due to people taking vacations, but businesses continue to operate, and if they have positions to fill, they’re going continue to fill them.

November and December are actually a great time to get ahead in your job search…

3 things to consider about job searching in November and December:

1. Less competition

Even though there’s a slight slowdown in hiring activity, when a large majority of job seekers are inactive, that’s the perfect time for you to get ahead in your job search - much less competition.

There are fewer applications for each job and fewer applicants messaging hiring managers.

Every year, we encourage the job seekers we work with to continue their job search in Nov-Dec, and we’ve had numerous folks receive job offers throughout December.

2. Strategic hiring

Late in the year, hiring managers still need to schedule interviews and fill open positions. In fact, many companies are scrambling to spend “use-it-or-lose-it” funds and headcount by filling open roles. If they don’t get it done by the end of the year, they risk losing the opportunity to hire. That means companies are motivated to hire quickly before the year ends.

Also, companies that have a strategic plan for hiring tend to seek out talent in November and December since many organizations slow down due to vacation schedules and holidays. Reactive companies slow down until after the new year, but strategic companies take action during December to meet with the top candidates to add to their teams.

I’ve talked to multiple hiring managers recently who are taking the proactive approach and continuing to hire with the intention of filling their open roles before the end of the year.

3. Get more responses to your outreach

Since general business activity slows down, many managers have fewer meetings on their calendars. That makes them more accessible and more likely to respond to you when you reach out to them. And they’ll be getting far fewer messages from other applicants since most job seekers will be on pause.

When I was hiring for multiple open roles on my team, I always spent a good amount of time networking and interviewing candidates in December because my usual sales and project activity slowed down. It was a good time to connect with eager candidates.

Consistency Always Wins

I’m not saying you should ditch your family during the holidays and spend all of your waking hours job-hunting.

You should absolutely spend time with your loved ones and take time to recharge.

But don’t let the slowdown slow you down. Stay consistent with your job search process. Capitalize on what this unique time of year offers you. And rather than re-starting your job search in January, you may end up starting your brand new job.

Wishing you resilience, determination, and a bright future ahead. 🌟

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