Month: November 2022

Christmas is a busy and exciting time of the year for everyone; not a time you would necessarily associate with searching for a new job or with companies taking on new employees. Job seekers tend to take time off from their job search as the holidays approach with the rational that very few companies will be hiring in the lead up to Christmas as their time will be occupied with staff trips, parties and annual leave. However, more and more companies as seeing the benefits associated with hiring in December in order to beat the inevitable increase in recruitment activity and in turn, industry competition, that occurs in the new year.

For companies looking to hire new staff members, initialising the recruitment process in December, rather than January can have many advantages. Firstly, this enables hiring managers to pick candidates ahead of their competition; something that is especially advantageous in today’s very much candidate-driven market. From an organisational point of view, candidate interviews and phone calls are easier to arrange over the Christmas period as typically more people have time off work in December than they will in the new year. Those managing the hiring process are also likely to have more free time and less urgent responsibilities in December; enabling more time for staff training and inductions to take place while workloads are relatively low, minimising any potential teething problems that could negatively impact current members of staff.

For job seekers looking to secure a new role, the benefits of job hunting in December are also numerous. If they are still working, applying for roles when their workload is reduced, and they have more time off will make the application process much easier. Competition from other candidates is likely to be lower as not everyone will choose to continue their job search over Christmas and therefore their commitment to the job search will be emphasised by sending applications at this time, highlighting their diligence, making them stand out and helping to ensure they will not go unnoticed by employers. In many cases, more vacancies start to arise over the Christmas period as employees who have been considering leaving wait to receive their Christmas bonuses before quitting.

Timing is critical in recruiting, both from a hiring perspective and from a job seeker’s perspective. But of course, the main reason has to be that for job seeker’s and hiring managers, there may be no better Christmas present than receiving their dream offer or the addition of a brilliant new employee!

We are really pleased to be supporting Derby City Mission this year to provide food and presents, to help local families enjoy Christmas!

Most of us spend our Christmas holidays with the people we love, content with our jolly festivities and that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It’s easy to forget that there are many people in the UK and worldwide who are much less fortunate than ourselves. Many people do not have a home, do not have simple sanitation and healthcare facilities, live from one meal to the next and never have the luxury of a Christmas present. A lot of these are children, just like your own bundles of joy, nieces/nephews or grandchildren.

Currently, over 14 million people live in poverty in the UK, 4 million of those are children! 

Can you imagine getting to an exciting time in the year and wondering how on earth you can afford to treat your children at Christmas?

Unfortunately, this is the reality for many families and since 1996, Derby Mission have been reaching out to underprivileged families working in partnership with a number of churches in Derby through donations of new toys for boys and girls, and this year we can help!

We have a huge box waiting here at Astute to fill with toys, selection boxes, books etc so we can help spread some Christmas Joy! To get an idea of the items required please see Derby Missions Amazon wishlist Amazon.co.uk

You can also donate directly through the wishlist or make a financial contribution here Children at Christmas | Derby City Mission

We are also collecting Christmas Treats and non-perishable food items here at Astute, which we will deliver to Derby Mission, who have provided the following list of items they are particularly short of at the moment:

Laundry tablets or capsules

Shampoo & Shower gel

Deodorants (male and female)

Instant noodles / instant mash / instant custard

In an average year, Derby Mission give out close to 800 food parcels to struggling families and individuals who they also help with Debt Advice at the regular Clinics they hold. The team are also able to provide support to people who are struggling with their mental health through their Community Shop and Cafe where volunteers provide a listening ear and guide to other helpful services.

A general list of food that Derby Mission are keen to collect at Christmas and all year round can be found on this page Food Bank Donations | Derby City Mission

They also collect the following items

Hats and gloves (as new)

Underwear and socks (new) size small and medium only (male and female)

Clean, new/as new sleeping bags

Clean, new/as new fleece blankets

and we are happy to collect any of these items and include them in our delivery to Derby City Mission on Tuesday 13th December 2022.