While we watch the streets of our cities light up with bright LEDs and every home undergoes a colour scheme transformation into the season’s traditional reds, we naturally seem to slow down and take in the festive spirit.

The business world is no different. Only couple of weeks ago all the executives rushed to lunch meetings to secure large project deals with their clients, now they are rushing to the shops to pick up the latest and the greatest toy for their little ones.

With the festive spirit in the air, it’s no secret that many corporate projects get put on hold, which results in a decreased number of contract opportunities within the market place. Some would see it as a recruitment stoppage period, but in reality, according to HR statistics, Christmas is one of the best times to hire.

“To succeed in business, you have to do the opposite of what everyone else does,” says David Sparrius, a co-owner of Milestone IT. “This is why I believe that Christmas is the best time for securing really good quality IT talent for upcoming projects. If you seek to launch on candidates when no one else is, you can secure them at a competitive rate, without the time restrictions, and open the door for success in the coming months.”

Many organisations try to wrap up their projects towards the end of the year to enjoy a hassle free break. This results in a large influx of highly skilled consultants being released to the job marketplace. They are available and ready to start new contracts. So looking for IT professionals during Christmas really is like going to a candy store – there are plenty of sweet treats looking to be picked up by any interested party.

“The start of the year, however, always sees one of the biggest new project boom periods within many organisations,” says Mr Sparrius. “It is one of the busiest periods for us. The problem is, most organisations are doing the same thing and you end up competing on work, rate and skills.”

“Therefore planning ahead is crucial, if you want the right people on your team. Finding and locking in the right resource for the new year projects over Christmas is one of the smartest things a company can do.”

Christmas sees a great market saturation of talent and locking them in contracts before they get snatched at the beginning of the year is the new way forward.