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BUSINESSES are being urged to give themselves an early Christmas present - the pick of the crop of job candidates.

The run-up to the festive season, says Bromborough-headquartered NMS Recruit, is undoubtedly the best time of the year to recruit high quality members of staff.

Operations manager Lisa Carew explained: “The party season’s in full swing and it’s a time when a lot of people think in terms of a workplace slowdown - but that works to the benefit of anyone actively looking for staff to start immediately or once the Christmas break is over.

“The number and flow of applicants for jobs is historically low in December but there’s still a pool of talented people out there ready to fill vacancies. By taking advantage of this so-called ‘quiet’ period, the shrewd client looking to hire can usually take the pick of the candidate crop.”

Companies not putting recruitment at Christmas high on their agenda could, Lisa pointed out, be the New Year losers.

She added: “Business competitors could actually be the ones left behind by believing December in general and the Christmas/New Year period in particular is a write-off when looking for new staff. It’s a great time to take advantage of the seasonal lull and get your selection and appointment confirmation completed now.

“There’s a good chance your choice of talent will be off the market and ready to start work, leaving competitors to start picking up the pieces from a depleted pool once they’re back working at full throttle in the New Year.

“It’s also ideal timing for people seeking new jobs. There’s usually greater workplace flexibility pre-Christmas so it’s an opportunity for clients and candidates to make more ‘talk time’ to discuss vacancies and application processes.”

Earlier this month NMS Recruit reported its fastest turnaround time in placing people in employment, filling vacancies for job hunters in the North West in a matter of days from the start of the recruitment process. In one particular instance, the CV stage started on the Monday, interviewing took place the following day and the candidate started work on the Wednesday.

Lisa added: “This is a perfect example of how acting now can give businesses the edge in getting the right people in place while competitors are still thinking about it.”