A recruiter in Sydney said this to me last week:

“Nothing happening till after Australia Day, mate. Just beach and cricket. We might as well switch off now”.

Australia Day is January 26th. He said this to me in late November. He just wrote off 2 months out of 12. Good luck, son!

Sadly, he is not alone. As we approach year-end, many are predicting a recruiting ‘dead zone’.

Australia and New Zealand will break for Christmas, the New Year, and the summer school holidays, so recruiting will slow and won’t pick up until the last week of January. “It’s the summer break, and that is that”.

The northern hemisphere is not so severe, but breaks over Christmas and New Year can still be expected, and recruitment plans are disrupted and delayed.

(Japan has Golden Week, much of Asia celebrates Chinese New Year, India loves Diwali, and there are many other examples of big recruiting lulls. The advice below holds good for all.)

Now, you could chill, sit back, go along for the ride, and simply say, ‘It is what it is. It’s that time of year.’

In other words, be average.

Or you can swim against the tide and use the impending break as a catalyst for meaningful action. Action that will pay off with a fast, productive start to 2026

Much of the poor results you experience ‘over the holidays’ are caused by your self-fulfilling prophesies. Millions of people will get new jobs over the next 8 weeks!

Here is your fourteen-point action plan

My advice is to use the impending holiday season…

1: As a prompt to fast-track actions or make decisions. Active current clients will catch the malaise and start to procrastinate. Push back! For example, “Let’s get all first interviews done before Christmas, Ms Client, so we keep the interest of these high calibre candidates high” and “I know you don’t wish to recruit till the new year, but let’s sit down and do the complete job briefing now Mr Client – so I can start talent searching, and ramp things up immediately after the break.”

2: Use the new year as a “fresh start” with all your current or good clients. “2026 is a new year with new challenges, Mr/s Client. Whether you have immediate hiring needs or not, let’s map out our talent strategies early to get ahead of the competition. Can you meet on the week of the 5th?. Aim to fill the first 2–3 weeks of January before you go on holiday. Clients love being proactive; you look organised.

3: Set a definitive agreed strategy with all active clients for an action plan on all open jobs. If you are going to be away during this period, make it clear who the point person on your team is, and then get full details on the client’s availability, when they are back, and the date we kick-start the search again. A specific date in the diary for a call, VC, or IRL is best. Understand me. “Hey, Ms Client, I will call you when you get back” is not good enough!

4: Call every candidate ‘in play‘ (those out on interviews or being represented to your clients via resumes), check in on their movements and how they feel about the jobs they are up for, and recalibrate their job search criteria. Set a date for a reconnect call or meeting after the holidays—I mean a diary date!

5: Call your good candidates ‘not in play‘ but who you want to work with, check where they are up to, offer encouragement, and commit to reconnecting in 2026.

6: Mine your database for high-quality candidates Slow periods = fewer urgent roles = more time for quality. Build shortlists of top people in: i)Roles you always place. ii) Skills you know will be hot in Feb–March. iii)People you’ve spoken to but never appropriately qualified. This is how you “load the gun” for a strong start to a new year.

7: Do a “Top 20 Clients” review

For each: What’s their 2025 plan? Who are the decision makers?  Who don’t we know that we should know? What have they hired recently? What’s the likely next vacancy? Then, create an action plan for each client.

8:  Prepare a New Year LinkedIn blast; Well, write some great content and have it ready to go every third day in January. Even schedule them if you wish. Make sure everyone knows you are ‘there’ and ‘active’!

9: Reconnect with placed candidates. Those you placed in roles over the previous 12 months.  A simple message: “How were the first few months? Any hiring plans in your team next year?” This is often overlooked and often gold.

10: Send handwritten cards to your top clients, I know. Old-school. (Smirk 😏). Try it, and then send me an apology. Personal. Memorable. This stands out massively in a digital world.

11: Take a candidate to coffee. ☕  Especially contractors, star performers, or influential permanent placement, or those you are working to place.Low-pressure. Builds deep loyalty. You will be amazed at the intel you gather, too. And it’s nice having coffee!

12: Create a “Ready for January” talent pool. Build a curated shortlist of:

• Immediately available candidates
• Passive candidates open to January start
• People finishing contracts

Then market them vigorously from Jan 5 onward.

13: If you are taking a break, make it relaxing, and forget about work for the duration. But be smart and make a comprehensive ‘to-do’ list of everything you need to follow up on when you return. Don’t leave anything to memory. Have it listed, then smash that list on your return

14:  Make sure the proper comms are sorted. An accurate and helpful ‘out of office‘ email reply. Ensure you are clear about your return date – and who to contact while you are away. Same for voice mail. You might think this is micro and somewhat petty. But trust me, many people do not do this. Emails and voicemail messages go unanswered, and there is no indication that your ‘service provider’ is on leave. Just silence. It’s bizarre, rude and incompetent.

5,000 recruiters will read this article within 24 hours if this blog gets my typical weekly audience.

I hope most of them will think it’s solid advice and makes sense.

I also believe that less than 10% (at best) will act on it.

Indeed, that is the real story of success in recruitment and maybe life. Knowing what you need to do is one thing. Actually, doing it is an entirely different mindset. (Me and the gym is a good example)

Which group are you in?

The 90%?

Or the 10%?

Happy Holidays all

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