Christmas is inching ever closer, although we know that this year Christmas and New Year celebrations will not be the same due to the impact of Covid-19.

It is during the holidays that many people re-evaluate their life choices. Throughout the year there are clear peaks and troughs in the number of candidates open to new opportunities and taking this into consideration when hiring can be a great advantage.

Friisberg & Partners recommends to their clients that they consider these two questions:

1. What am I doing to ensure that I have access to the best talent in the market?
2. What am I doing to retain my key people and ensure they do not look for opportunities elsewhere?

Almost 25% [1] of people actively search for new roles in January, however there is typically a corresponding increase in job postings. The fact that many people are more relaxed during downtime means that 75% of the market are more passively open to talking with Headhunters about opportunities - and then being much more easily persuaded to leave their current role.

Susanne Becker Mikkelsen, Managing Partner of Friisberg & Partners International Denmark states,

“We often find that many Chief Executives and HR Directors are very busy at the beginning of the new year when new goals and plans are being launched, precisely when resources and time to contact potential candidates are scarce. We always ensure that assignments are carried out professionally, especially at busy times and an Executive Search firm can be critical to success. We can contact and make potential candidates aware of a vacancy, and ensure that candidate becomes interested in discussing it further."

Even if you feel you have a stable and secure workforce, we recommend reading the 2019 Epinion study [2] wherein a thorough analysis of the market showed that the four most common reasons for people taking on new work challenges are:

• Better salary (24%)
• Better opportunities for personal and professional development (22%)
• Shorter work commute (18%)
• Better work/life balance (14%).

There are of course no hard and fast rules, however we can offer advice to make sure you’re taking the right path. It all begins with hiring the right person for the right position, but besides recruiting the best people for your company, you also have to nurture an engage your talent to stop them from leaving.

We can help to ensure that your organization is worthy of the talent it has and the talent it needs, and that you are motivating your people to ensure their ongoing commitment.

Josephine Lindhart
Friisberg & Partners International Denmark