Hiring expert: Only days left to apply for jobs looking to hire before 2024

NEW YORK — Job seekers are getting their own two-week notice from employment experts. For those looking to find a new job in time to start 2024, one recruiter says time is running out to get those resumes out the door.

In order to start on Wednesday, Jan. 3, the first day back to work for many offices after ringing in the New Year, applicants need to get the ball rolling within the next few weeks. Data from recruiter Michael Page shows, on average, it takes 33 days from a candidate’s first application to signing on the dotted line. If you add in a one-month notice period, that means the prime time to apply for jobs with a January start date is by the end of October 2023.

Job seekers may want to take note of these timings, as a study of 5,000 workers in the United Kingdom reveals almost a quarter (22%) want to kickstart 2024 with a new job. Of these, 40 percent say they are waiting until the New Year to apply for a new role.

However, applicants holding off until January could be missing out. More than half (51%) of those involved in hiring say they want to get the ball rolling in the fall, so their new recruits can “hit the ground running” in the New Year.

“We know that people like to make New Year’s resolutions and January feels like the natural time to make a big change,” says Doug Rode, Managing Director UK&I at Michael Page, part of FTSE 250 PageGroup, in a statement.

“But this data shows that when it comes to landing your dream new job, it can actually be advantageous to get ahead of the game. In fact, smart businesses will be thinking about hiring now so that new starters can kick off in January in order to get maximum impact for the new year. That means that the savviest hiring managers are likely to be locking down their new recruits now,” Rode continues.

“Taking control of your career and applying before the end of the year could make all the difference to your job search, with other job seekers missing out on great opportunities by waiting until 2024 begins.”

Job Interview — (Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko from Pexels)

More than half of survey respondents (53%) said the new year represents a new start, which makes it the perfect time to embark on the next chapter of their career. Another 38 percent think it is beneficial to start a new role around New Year’s because it allows them to set goals for the year ahead.

The data also revealed that pay (50%), work-life balance (40%), and the chance to develop new skills (33%) are the top reasons why workers want to start fresh. Money is talking louder than ever before, with the highest proportion of workers (26%) expecting a healthy five to 10 percent salary increase in their next role. Meanwhile, a significant 13 percent of workers would expect a hefty 30 to 40 percent salary hike in their next offer.

Working styles matter to job seekers, too, with 60 percent keen to leave the normal “9 to 5 schedule” in the past by applying to companies with flexible start and finish times. Over four in 10 (44%) are actively seeking out firms with four-day working weeks, which they believe to be a far more appealing prospect.

Additionally, almost half of workers (48%) have come to realize they will need to seek a new job in order to climb the corporate ladder, with this ambition underpinning their 2024 job hunt. However, 45 percent of job seekers would be tempted to stay put if they received a counteroffer from their existing employer, according to the findings by OnePoll.

“A quarter of the UK workforce are set on starting afresh next year when it comes to their career. And there is plenty of opportunity out there, with almost a million jobs still available in the UK according to recent ONS data,” Doug Rode adds.

“We see a lot of competition in January for roles with many workers trying to realize their resolutions but what candidates may not realize is that October can be a brilliant month to get on the front foot with their search and beat the post-Christmas rush. And when it comes to counteroffers, it’s worth taking plenty of time to think it over. If you have gone through the effort of securing an exciting new role, with great benefits and plenty of opportunity, there is likely to be a good reason.”