Hiring tends to slow in December. Budgets are being closed off, diaries thin out, and many teams decide a search can wait until the new year. Then January arrives, projects restart, headcount opens up, and everyone goes to market in the same fortnight.
That gap is worth using. Some teams pause completely until January. Others treat the quiet weeks as a head start. There is less noise in December and candidates are easier to reach. The teams that have done the groundwork are interviewing in the first week back, while others are still writing job descriptions.
This year the market has been uneven. Companies with capital and a clear plan for AI have kept hiring. Others have held headcount flat and are waiting for the year to turn. That points to a crowded January, with a lot of roles opening at once and strong candidates fielding more than one approach.
Nathan Connolly, our CEO, covered the same pattern in his Bullhorn session on gearing up for the January hiring rush. It was aimed at agencies, and the advice holds just as well for in-house teams. The groundwork done before the break decides how quickly you can move in January. Here is what we suggest.
1. Decide who you need to hire in early 2027
Use the last working weeks of the year to look at planned projects, known skill gaps and where the team is stretched. Talk to each lead and settle which roles matter most. A short list for Q1 keeps the January conversations focused and stops decisions being rushed once the year starts.
2. Start conversations with candidates now
Many people are happy to have a relaxed chat in December, even when they are not actively looking. It is an easier way to build a relationship with someone passive than a cold approach in the middle of January. Early contact also means first interviews can be booked before diaries fill up again.
3. Check how you come across
January is when people think hardest about their next move. Look at your careers page, your LinkedIn presence and how you describe the team, the work and the office arrangement. Keep the message consistent across everything a candidate might read.
Office days deserve a specific mention. Candidates increasingly expect two or three days a week, and roles asking for four or five tend to draw a smaller pool. Our Hybrid Working Report covers what employers are actually asking for and where the friction sits.
4. Shorten the process and book the interview slots
A slow process is the most common reason we see clients lose a candidate, and January makes it worse. Review how long it takes to move someone from application to offer and cut any step that does not change the decision.
Then pick the interview panel and block a few slots in the first two weeks of January. Make sure each interviewer knows what they are assessing. People come back to full inboxes, and interviews that are not already in the diary tend to slip.
5. Refresh the job descriptions
Clear job descriptions attract better applications. Keep them short and honest, make sure the responsibilities match what the role actually involves, and include the terms candidates search for. If the role has changed since it was last advertised, say so rather than reposting the old version.
6. Get budgets and approvals signed off before the break
One of the biggest January delays is waiting for sign-off. Approval chains move slowly in the first weeks back. Get the budget, the level and the package agreed before people go away. Then an offer can go out the day the right person says yes.
7. Stay visible in your networks
There are still meetups and online events in December. They are good places to meet people who may be open to a move in the new year, without the pressure of a formal process. A conversation now can become a hire in February.
8. Have the onboarding ready
A lot of people start in January, so a clear first few weeks stands out. Set up access, the welcome note and the early goals before the break. It makes for a calmer start on both sides.
Why it pays to act now
January will bring more movement than usual. Planning in December takes the pressure off. It gives you a better chance of hiring the right person rather than whoever is still available in February.
If you would like help, we recruit across UX and design, product, data and AI and engineering. We work in the UK, Europe, the US and the UAE. We can help with the hiring plan, pay ranges, the current market picture and reaching passive candidates. For leadership roles, our Executive Search and Fractional Leadership teams can start the groundwork now. The earlier we talk, the more time there is to build the pipeline before January. Send us a brief.
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