September is traditionally the busiest month in the recruitment calendar. More positions go live, more people search for jobs and there is faster decision making. There are several factors that influence this seasonal trend in the UK.

Post-holiday, it’s back in school after the summer break and there’s a feeling of ‘business as usual’ in the air. Just as children prepare to return to the new academic year, candidates have used the summer to realign their goals and are most likely to review their career at this time of year as well. September is one of the best months to start your recruitment process because the market experiences an influx of new candidates searching for a better job, or a change in their career direction.

September is a particularly important month if you are trying to attract graduates. Many graduate schemes open applications in September. Applying for a job post-university will be on the minds of many students this month due to the large number of careers fairs and recruitment evenings that companies hold.

A large number of hiring managers are subject to the short school holiday window of July and August for family holidays. As there are typically 2 – 3 decision makers involved in most recruitment processes (line managers and members of the HR department), many hiring managers decide to leave recruitment to September, when face-to-face interviews are much easier to schedule.

You may think that with activity increasing in September that you will have more competition in the market for the best person for your role. As long as your job advert is compelling, the job title is clear and salary is competitive, you are likely to receive a much larger response to a job ad in this month, as opposed to one posted in August. October is also a good month to recruit. November through to December sees a drop off in job applications because many candidates are focused on plans for Christmas.

If you would like to discuss how Ortolan People can help you maximise this recruitment window, contact us on 020 3743 0600 or email info@ortolan.com.