September always feels like something of a reset.
Summer holidays are coming to an end, teams are back together and attention starts turning towards Q4, next year’s plans and the things the business wants to achieve in 2027.
Recruitment often forms part of those conversations.
“We’ll probably need someone in January.”
It sounds like there is plenty of time.
Depending on the role, there may not be as much as you think.
The permanent market is beginning to move
There have been some genuinely encouraging signs in the latest UK recruitment data.
The August KPMG and REC Report on Jobs found that permanent placements stabilised in July, bringing a 45-month period of decline to an end. Permanent vacancies are still falling, so this is not suddenly a booming jobs market, but the rate of decline was the softest seen for 22 months.
At the same time, candidate availability continued to increase, but at its slowest rate for five months. Starting salaries also rose at their fastest pace for six months as employers competed for people with the skills and experience they really wanted.
The picture is still mixed, but it suggests the market may be moving towards a more balanced position.
For employers, that makes now a useful time to start thinking about the hires that will matter next year.
January might be the start date, not the start of the search
If you want somebody to join in January, work backwards.
Before an offer can be made, there is the brief to agree, the market to search, candidates to qualify and interviews to arrange.
Even a relatively straightforward process can easily take four to six weeks.
Then there is the candidate’s notice period.
For some people that will be one month. For more senior or specialist hires, three months is common and it can sometimes be longer.
A business beginning its search in November could therefore find an excellent candidate quickly and still be looking at a February or March start date.
That is not necessarily a problem.
But if your plans rely on somebody being in the business early in 2027, it is worth being realistic about the timeline now.
More available candidates does not mean every hire will be easy
There are currently more candidates available than we have seen during stronger hiring markets.
That can make it tempting to assume that finding someone will be straightforward.
The overall number of people looking for work, however, tells you relatively little about the availability of the exact person you need.
You may be looking for a specific combination of sector knowledge, technical skills, seniority, location, salary and working preferences.
The strongest candidates may also still be employed and not actively applying for jobs.
The recent increase in starting salaries is a useful reminder of this. Even in a market with greater candidate availability, employers are still having to compete for sought-after skills.
Starting earlier gives you time to explore that market properly rather than reaching December and feeling pressure to compromise.
Use the planning time to challenge the role
Starting recruitment earlier does not mean putting an advert live tomorrow.
In fact, one of the most valuable things you can do before searching is make sure you are recruiting the right role.
If you are replacing somebody, avoid automatically copying their existing job description.
The person leaving may have gradually collected responsibilities over several years. The team may have changed. New technology may have removed some tasks and created others.
Instead, look ahead.
What does the business need this person to achieve during 2027?
Which three outcomes would make the appointment a success?
What skills genuinely need to be there from day one?
What could be developed after they join?
This is also the point to make sure the title, salary and working arrangements reflect what you are actually asking someone to do.
A few conversations now can prevent several frustrating weeks in the market later.
Plan the interview process before candidates arrive
A surprising amount of recruitment delay has nothing to do with candidates.
It is diaries.
The first interview is delayed because somebody is away. The second interviewer cannot meet for another week. Feedback waits until everyone has found time to discuss it.
Individually, each delay feels small. Together, they can stretch a recruitment process considerably.
Before going to market, decide who genuinely needs to meet the candidate, what each stage is designed to assess and roughly when those people can be available.
This does not mean rushing people through.
It means removing the unnecessary gaps that can cause good candidates to lose interest or accept another opportunity.
Do not rely on December to rescue the process
Recruitment still happens in December, but it can be a difficult month to make up lost time.
Annual leave increases, decision-makers become harder to pin down and many candidates are understandably reluctant to resign immediately before Christmas.
If January is an important start date, ideally December should be about preparing for somebody to join, rather than only beginning the search.
That might mean an accepted offer, agreed start date and onboarding plan are already in place.
Everyone can then head into Christmas knowing where they stand.
Give yourself options
There is no reason every January hire needs to begin in August or September.
Some roles can be filled quickly, notice periods vary and occasionally the right person appears immediately.
The benefit of starting earlier is not simply speed.
It is choice.
You have more time to understand the market, approach passive candidates, respond to feedback and make a considered decision.
And if the market tells you that the brief, salary or expectations need adjusting, you still have time to do something about it.
If somebody is going to play an important part in your plans for 2027, recruitment should probably form part of the planning now rather than being left until the new year arrives.
Thinking about hiring for 2027? We are always happy to have an early conversation about the role, likely market and realistic timescales, even if you are not ready to begin the search yet.
