It's a familiar conversation in motor trade recruitment. A dealership needs another Vehicle Technician, Service Advisor or Sales Executive, but with Christmas approaching, the decision is made to leave recruitment until January.

On the surface, it makes sense. December can be busy, annual leave needs covering and managers have plenty of other priorities. But waiting until the New Year to even start looking could mean missing candidates who are already thinking about their next move.

For dealerships with vacancies to fill, the better question isn't necessarily whether someone can start before Christmas. It's whether there's a good reason to delay finding them.

Why Waiting Until January Can Be a Recruitment Mistake

Candidates don't all start looking for jobs on 1 January

January is often associated with fresh starts, career changes and New Year's resolutions. However, candidates don't necessarily wait for the calendar to change before considering their next move.

Someone who has become frustrated with their working hours, earnings, progression opportunities or management may already be thinking about changing jobs. They might not want to resign before Christmas, but that doesn't mean they aren't prepared to have a conversation about a suitable opportunity.

For employers, there is an important distinction between a candidate being ready to explore a new role and being available to start immediately.

A Vehicle Technician with a month's notice, for example, could interview in November or December and agree a start date in the New Year. Waiting until January to advertise the vacancy would push that process back further.

Delaying recruitment also delays the entire hiring process

Recruitment involves more than placing an advert and arranging an interview. Employers need to establish the salary and package, assess applications, speak with candidates, arrange interviews, make decisions and agree terms.

For technical or management positions, additional assessments or meetings may be required.

Starting this work before Christmas can help prevent an existing vacancy from remaining unfilled unnecessarily into the following year.

A quieter job market doesn't guarantee the right candidates

It is tempting to assume that employers can afford to wait because the wider labour market has softened.

The Office for National Statistics estimated 702,000 UK vacancies in June to August 2026, a decrease of 1.1% compared with the previous quarter. There were also 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy in May to July 2026.

However, these are national labour market figures, not a measure of available Vehicle Technicians, MOT Testers or experienced dealership managers. A reduction in overall vacancies does not automatically translate into an abundance of suitably qualified automotive candidates.

Source: ONS, Vacancies and Jobs in the UK, September 2026.

What Perfect Placement's Recruitment Data Tells Employers

Application numbers can create a misleading impression of candidate availability. A vacancy may attract considerable interest without producing applicants who have the experience, qualifications or location requirements needed for the position.

Perfect Placement's Q3 2026 application analysis shows just how much candidate response varies between motor trade roles. While some vacancies attract dozens of applications, others receive only a handful, reinforcing why employers cannot rely on application volume alone when planning recruitment.

Source: Perfect Placement internal application data, 1 July–30 September 2026. Figures represent average applications per job, including jobs with zero applications, not unique or suitably qualified candidates.

The difference is significant for recruitment planning. A dealership advertising for a Service Advisor may experience a very different response from one recruiting an MOT Tester or Vehicle Technician.

And even where application volumes are higher, employers still need to assess whether applicants meet the requirements of the vacancy.

Why proactive recruitment matters

Perfect Placement doesn't rely solely on candidates applying to advertised vacancies.

Across placements made in the last year approximately 65% resulted from proactive recruitment activity.

That means employers working with Perfect Placement can benefit from conversations with candidates who may not be actively applying for jobs but would consider the right opportunity.

This is particularly relevant towards the end of the year. A candidate might be unwilling to spend their evenings searching job boards, yet still be interested in hearing about a role offering better working hours, earnings or progression.

Starting recruitment earlier also gives employers more time to reach candidates who are not actively searching for a new role. As we explored in our article on why waiting for applications is costing employers automotive talent, relying on job adverts alone can mean missing experienced professionals who would consider the right opportunity.

How Dealerships Can Recruit Effectively Before Christmas

1. Decide which vacancies genuinely need attention

Not every position needs to be filled immediately. Start by looking at the operational impact of existing and anticipated vacancies.

For an aftersales department, an unfilled Technician position could affect workshop capacity and the distribution of work across the existing team. In sales, a vacancy may affect customer coverage, appointment availability or the workload of other Sales Executives.

Consider which vacancies are already affecting the business, which are likely to become more difficult to manage in January and which can reasonably wait.

2. Agree the salary and package before advertising

One avoidable cause of recruitment delays is starting the search before the business has agreed what it can offer.

Employers should establish the basic salary, realistic OTE where relevant, working hours, weekend requirements, benefits and any flexibility before speaking with candidates.

This is particularly important when recruiting experienced professionals who may already have a reasonable package and need a compelling reason to move.

Salary expectations should be assessed against the role, location and experience required rather than relying on a package that worked several years ago.

3. Keep the interview process moving

December diaries can be difficult, particularly when management teams are balancing annual leave, operational demands and year-end responsibilities.

However, employers can reduce unnecessary delays by agreeing interview availability in advance and identifying who can make hiring decisions.

Even an initial telephone or video conversation can help establish whether a candidate is worth progressing to a face-to-face interview.

If the right person becomes available, being able to respond promptly could make a meaningful difference.

4. Be realistic about notice periods and start dates

Recruiting before Christmas doesn't mean expecting every candidate to start before the holiday period.

Some candidates may have contractual notice periods, planned annual leave, commission arrangements or bonus payments to consider.

According to Acas, the notice an employee must give depends on their employment terms and circumstances. Employers should therefore discuss availability individually rather than assume a candidate can start immediately.

Source: Acas guidance on notice periods.

Agreeing a January or February start date may be entirely appropriate if it means securing a suitable long-term appointment.

5. Start conversations even if the final decision comes later

There is a difference between beginning a recruitment search and committing to an immediate appointment.

A dealership can use the remaining weeks of the year to review the vacancy, understand candidate availability, establish salary expectations and identify potential interviewees.

This provides useful information for workforce planning even if the business decides to make its final hiring decision in January.

For candidates, the same principle applies. Those considering their options can benefit from understanding what opportunities are available before handing in their notice. Our article on looking for a new job before leaving an existing role explores this from the candidate's perspective.

6. Give candidates a reason to choose your dealership

Employers should also consider what makes the vacancy attractive beyond the job title.

For a Vehicle Technician, that might be the workshop environment, equipment, training opportunities or working hours. For a Sales Executive, it could be the commission structure, management support, realistic earning potential or quality of leads.

Being specific about these details helps candidates decide whether a position is worth exploring.

And when someone has been in the same job for several years, changing employers can feel like a significant decision. Our guide to motor trade interviews after years in one role looks at some of the considerations those candidates face.

When does waiting until January make sense?

There are circumstances where delaying recruitment is reasonable.

If a vacancy hasn't been approved, the business is restructuring or there is genuine uncertainty about future staffing requirements, employers should resolve those questions before making a commitment.

Similarly, there is little value in rushing a recruitment process when the people needed to assess candidates are unavailable.

But delaying an appointment is not necessarily the same as delaying all recruitment activity. Employers can still prepare the vacancy, review the package and understand the available candidate market.

The aim should be to make a well-informed hiring decision, not simply to recruit before a particular date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is December a bad time to recruit motor trade staff?

Not necessarily. December can create scheduling challenges, but suitable candidates may still be open to discussing opportunities. The effectiveness of a recruitment campaign will depend on the role, location, salary and how quickly the employer can respond.

Should dealerships wait until January to advertise vacancies?

There is no automatic reason to wait. If a vacancy is approved and the business knows what it needs, starting the search earlier can provide additional time for candidate identification and interviews.

Can employers recruit someone in December for a January start?

Yes. An employer and candidate can agree a future start date, taking account of contractual notice periods and other commitments.

Which motor trade positions may benefit from an early recruitment search?

Roles that require specific technical qualifications, experience or management capability can benefit from additional search time. This may include Vehicle Technicians, MOT Testers, Diagnostic Technicians, Workshop Controllers and experienced dealership managers. However, requirements and candidate availability vary by location.

What if we aren't ready to interview until January?

You can still begin planning. Agreeing the vacancy requirements, reviewing the salary and discussing the potential candidate market with a recruitment consultant can put the business in a stronger position when interviews begin.

About the Author

Ashley Camies
As Marketing & Automation Manager at Perfect Placement, Ashley Camies has 14 years of automotive recruitment experience. Since 2011, she has supported motor trade employers and candidates across the UK. Ashley specialises in analysing recruitment trends, salary data and hiring patterns, creating practical career advice and recruitment insights based on over a decade of experience in the automotive sector.