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Year-End Hiring Strategies in the Construction Industry

Thirty-seven days until Thanksgiving, 51 days until Hanukkah, and 69 days until Christmas. If you are not required to work Saturdays and take no PTO, then you have just shy of 50 days left to close out 2023 and usher in the New Year. This statement of time either brings anticipation or anxiety and sometimes a mixture of both to most people. You hear from others around you: “Where did the year go?” or “The older I get, the faster the years go by,” or do they? The time you have each year remains the same whether you are just starting your career or toward the latter part of your career. The statement that time goes by faster as you age is a feeling, not a fact. What makes you feel that way?

A common employment myth voiced around now is the assumption that employers don’t hire this time of year. On the contrary, many hiring managers take time during the 4^th quarter to interview with the intent to hire and be fully staffed to not only meet their end-of-year deliverables but also be better prepared to meet the new-year initiatives with the right human capital in place. That said, it is not the interviewing and hiring that is affected by the holidays as much as the start dates because of the coordination required, which seems like more than usual. Yet all year long, onboarding is scheduled around participant’s availability and arranged around business travel and obligations, including personal time off and company events.

Reasons for Delayed Start Dates in Construction Jobs

Delayed starts until after the turn of the new year are more often than not the request of the new hire starting with a new company. These reasons may include:

• Anticipation of a bonus they have worked toward while at their current employer; leaving too soon could jeopardize their receipt of the bonus.
• They are coming off an overly stressful project and require some much-needed time off during the holiday season to recharge and start fresh at a new company.
• A relocation may be required, and the move must be planned around the availability of the new residence, holiday plans, expenses, and closures that might affect the budget or timing of the move. This could include children having to enroll in a new school.

Other reasons could include grieving the loss of a loved one earlier in the year, a scheduled surgery, a special trip planned, or anything else that makes sense when it can be solidified before heading back into the unknown of project timelines, business commitments while forming new relationships, and owning new responsibilities.

Coordinating Onboarding during the Holiday Season

Hiring managers on the general contracting side of the business may find the end of the year an excellent time not only to interview potential new team members but also for onboarding. This can be especially true if they have had an excellent year and are in the holiday spirit.

Holiday gatherings and events take place, affording new team members the opportunity to meet others from the company whom they may not be able to meet at other times of the year because of project and office locations. At holiday time, everyone gathers to unite and celebrate the year soon to be ending.

Executives involved in the hiring process may have a more relaxed schedule during the last months of the year, with development meetings postponed and contract negotiations stalled because of stakeholder travels.

Larger construction companies may have budget dollars in place for hiring and recruiting, and they often want to use them before the end of the year so they don’t lose them. They may do a year-end outreach to find the right new hires to meet their contractual and internally approved roles.

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