As we move towards the end of the year, many businesses in the events industry are busy tying up projects, finalising budgets, and preparing for the festive season ahead. Recruitment, however, is often pushed to the new year – and that can be a costly mistake. Starting the hiring conversations now, rather than waiting until January, can make all the difference when it comes to securing the best talent and ensuring a smooth start to 2026.
Stay ahead of the competition
It is important to remember that the strongest candidates are already thinking about their next move. The events industry is highly competitive, and those top performers will not be on the market for long. By starting your recruitment process now, you are getting ahead of competitors - this gives you access to the best talent before others even start the conversation, and avoids missing the January “rush” where although there is often higher number of people actively looking for a move, the competition for this talent is also much greater!
Timing matters
Notice periods can vary significantly depending on the role. Junior candidates typically have one months’ notice, whilst senior professionals can often be up to three months. Add to this the time needed to plan, advertise, interview and agree on packages, and it is easy to see how quickly the weeks can slip by. Live Recruitment are here to make this process seamless, but it’s important to consider if your business ready to commit the time necessary to hire?
If you wait until January to start, you are realistically looking at an April start date – and for some senior hires, it could be even later. Planning ahead ensures your new team members are ready to hit the ground running at the start of the new year.
The risks of waiting until after the holidays
Leaving recruitment until after the holidays can lead to rushed decisions. When time pressures build, it becomes easy to cut corners, which often results in missing out on quality candidates or hiring in haste. Many clients underestimate how long the recruitment process can take, even with agency support. Candidate availability, internal delays, counter offers and notice periods can all stretch timelines further.
By underestimating these factors, you risk having unfilled roles and under resourced projects during a crucial period for your business in Q1. And with each candidate often juggling several opportunities at once, a slow or disorganised process can mean losing out entirely.
Prepare now to move quickly
To prepare effectively for roles starting in early 2026, now is the time to get everything in order. Even if the exact requirements are not completely finalised, having the conversation with Live Recruitment early enables us to start building a pipeline of candidates. We can start conversations on your behalf, ensuring that when the time comes to move forward, you are not starting from zero. The more information and clarity you have the better, however, we understand the needs are not always 100% defined and can work with a more open brief.
The counter offer
The end of the year also brings performance reviews and pay rises for many employees, meaning counteroffers are more common. If your offer is not compelling enough, candidates may choose to stay where they are for a countered pay rise and / or promises made in end of year reviews. By being proactive and offering a strong, well-thought-out package from the offset, you give yourself the best chance of securing top talent. Recruitment is a two way street and top talent will always want to know what the business can offer them as well as what they are bringing to the business.
The Christmas candidate epiphany
The “Christmas epiphany” is real. Many professionals use the festive break to reflect on their careers and may decide to make a change in the new year.
Whilst as a business, your plans may indicate that you want to recruit in the new year, there will also be fierce competition during this time for top tier talent, as often more people will be looking then. Add further time delays to this as well, as although many move into the New Year keen to make a move the reality is by the time they are back in, have actioned anything urgent from across the festive break and updated their CV it is often the end of January / early February before they are actually in a position to start applying for roles and interviewing (and that is without taking into consideration a busy January delivery period which is of course dependant on the company). As such it is vital that you are planning as a business and ensuring you are starting your search for talent early enough
The bottom line
Recruitment is not an overnight process. Starting now allows you to plan carefully, engage with the best candidates early, and avoid the stress and uncertainty that often comes with rushed hiring in the new year. By acting now, before the festive period, you will be ahead of the competition and in the strongest position to deliver a successful 2026.