Is the Holiday Hiring Freeze Real?: Facts and Myths About Hiring New Employees in December

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Facts and Myths About Hiring New Employees in December

Is the holiday hiring freeze real? We bust the myths and reveal the facts in this guide to hiring new employees in December.

Being out of work in the month of December can be aggravating. Many job seekers are aware that, during this time, December is part of the holiday hiring freeze. The holiday hiring freeze is the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day when companies stop hiring new employees and decrease their job force.

With thoughts around the holidays coming up, many companies will think that there is little to no use hiring employees in December, and job seekers will not want to search for jobs. But most of that thinking is based on myths and facts that surround the process.

In this article, we will debunk some of the myths surrounding hiring new employees in December and reveal the real facts.

Companies Are Too Busy In December

Answer: Fact.

Many companies end up freezing the hiring process to save both money and time during the busiest time of the year. During this time, responses from hiring managers can be slow. This is because onboarding new employees while accompanying the end-of-year deadlines and holiday vacations from current employees are often too stressful. 

COVID-19 Will Still Affect Hiring In December

Answer: Unclear.

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the majority of the economy in 2020, leaving millions of people on unemployment and forcing companies to undergo furloughing and laying employees off. Recovery is still slow across the country as people have had to deal with restrictions related to social distancing. With that in mind, companies will likely struggle during the fourth quarter.

However, on the bright side, the hiring pool will likely be more diverse with more women and racial minorities searching for jobs during this time.

The Only Jobs Hiring In December Will Be Temporary

Answer: Myth.

Because of the holiday season, many job seekers think that the only kind of jobs that will be hiring is temporary or ones, not part- or full-time jobs. But that’s not always the case. Temporary workers are usually worked out as part of the yearly budget every year.

Historically, over 257,000 jobs are usually filled in December. Depending on the industry, some companies have a lot of business occurring during those months, thereby they need more workers than they currently have in order to keep up with the demand. From that demand, many companies end up retaining up to 25 percent of their temporary workers.

Because of this, December is a good time to work hard and have a shot at getting promoted to a better position that fits your needs.

Hiring New Employees At the End of the Year

The month of December can be a great time for a job seeker to try and find another job and for companies who need to make the decision quickly to fill the job before they lose the budget. In 2020, the job-seeking experience is even more difficult given the high unemployment rates.

Overall, December can be slow for some companies, but applying for a job later in December can yield either very quick results in December or great results in January. Even if you do not end up being hired in December, you should not give up.

No matter whether you think about hiring employees in December or not, hiring new employees should be as easy and streamlined of an experience as possible. Whether you are a job seeker looking for the right job for them or a company seeking to improve its hiring process, we can help fulfill your recruiting goals. Contact us today or call us at 847-881-3338.

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