By Sophia Wong, Consultant – HR & Administration Recruitment, Links International Hong Kong
Although hiring plans across most industries generally tend to slow down towards the end of the year, my team at Links still has some great opportunities for jobs in Human Resources and Administration that you should pay attention to.
There are actually many advantages to look for a new job in relatively slow hiring months. Let me break these down for you:
1. What if you give up your year-end bonus?
Candidates usually receive their bonus between December and February. It’s totally understandable that most candidates are unlikely to give up their bonus at this period in order to join another company. On the other hand, however, there are companies willing to pay a signing bonus as an incentive for the year-end joiners, especially for those manager grade or above positions. Therefore, the current bonus scheme that candidates have might not be an issue at all, so it might be worth looking around.
2. Some companies might want to fill their headcounts before the next financial year
From a hiring manager’s perspective, they are always eager to fill roles for their teams, in order to have extra manpower, knowing full well that the headcount might not be carried forward to the next year. This could, therefore, be good news for candidates. If the role needs to be filled as soon as possible, this will usually mean a quicker interview process. At this stage, hiring managers also tend to be less strict about requirements and there is therefore more room for negotiation regarding the package. In short, there could be some golden opportunities in the job market in this respect.
3. Fewer competitors for the positions
Less competition for the position you like is always a good thing. During the relatively slow hiring months, the job market situation often works in the candidate’s favour, as there are fewer job seekers compared to during the hiring peak, meaning candidates have more leverage over employers. Therefore, this could be a great opportunity for candidates who are interested in a change, but don’t want to deal with the competitive or extremely aggressive hiring process.
4. Get to know the new company and your colleagues before it gets really busy
Some of my candidates have been onboarded during the busiest times of the year. This means they had a relatively short timeframe to get familiar with the company and also with their colleagues, as everyone was too busy. This won’t be a pleasant experience for any new joiner and it may cause stress to some candidates. The way to avoid this is to join the company when everything is a little slower, such as at the end of the year or beginning of January. By doing this, you will have more time to learn how the company works and give yourself a smoother transition.
If you thought you had to wait until next year to find a new job, maybe you don’t need to wait that long! Are you looking for a job in Human Resources in Hong Kong? Contact us and let us help take your career to the next level.