Graduate recruiters across the country will welcome the news that almost a quarter (24%) of employers across the UK are set to provide a temporary boost to their workforce this festive season.
The findings from a survey carried out by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which describes itself as ‘the only professional body dedicated to representing the whole of the recruitment industry’, revealed that Christmas 2013 will see a wave of seasonal job vacancies flood the jobs market, providing opportunities for job seekers from a range of groups, including graduates.
While 15% of employers outlined that they will be maintaining the same recruitment levels as Christmas 2012, 9% argued that they would be hiring more Christmas staff in 2013.
And the good news is that these temporary opportunities may turn into permanent ones, with 27% of employers arguing that they are planning to retain their Christmas temps into the New Year. Although 32% remained undecided as to whether they would keep temps on once the festive season has come to an end, those candidates that have proved their worth during their temporary stint may have a better chance of coming under employers’ radar than those that haven’t.
Commenting on the findings of the survey, REC Chief Executive Kevin Green said: “This is great news for people looking to find work this Christmas and shows that temporary work can act as a stepping stone into full-time permanent jobs for people who want to make that transition.”
The latest Labour Market Outlook (LMO) from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also revealed that employers’ hiring intentions were stronger as a whole for the last three months of 2013 with the net employment balance – the difference between the amount of firms who plan to increase or decrease their recruitment drive in the fourth quarter of the year – climbing by ten points to reach +24.
If you are looking for the right graduate talent to help your business go forward Discovery Graduates can help with all stages of the graduate recruitment process including attraction, recruitment and retention.
