HIRE
Q4 Is the Secret Hiring Window.
Most companies stop hiring in Q4. That’s your opportunity. Candidates are more active and they have time to interview. Companies are the slow ones, because someone is always out of office, too buried, or just checked out.
Waiting until January costs more than people think. Workload piles up, onboarding gets rushed, and candidates hit post-holiday overwhelm and stop answering messages.
How to Hire Through the Holidays:
- Compress the process: Three weeks, start to offer.
- Block interview time now: Before PTO fills the calendar.
- Aim for January start dates: Get offers accepted by mid-December.
- Stay in touch: Weekly check-ins with finalists.
The catch: Some candidates wait for their year-end bonus before moving. Ask about timing early.
Everyone else is waiting for January. That’s your advantage.
LEAD
Unemployment Isn’t a Participation Trophy.
Not everyone who leaves deserves unemployment. The state decides based on why the job ended, and you get a say. Ignore the notice and the claim is approved by default. That’s about $21K on your account and higher premiums for years.
And the cost lands on the people still doing the job.
Who Usually Gets It (and Who Doesn’t):
- Laid off or position cut: Approved. That’s what the program is for.
- Quit without a real reason: Usually denied.
- Fired for documented misconduct or performance: Usually denied. The key is documentation.
How to Win:
- Start at the offer: Put expectations in writing from day one, then document onboarding and sign-offs.
- Write down every coaching conversation: Date, topic, what was said, what was agreed to.
- Be consistent: One note isn’t enough. Show a pattern.
- Be specific at separation: Name the reason plainly and tie it to what’s documented.
- Respond on time: Treat the notice like a court date.
Documented = protected. If this makes your head spin, give us a call.
GROW
Salary Is Just the Down Payment.
Most owners budget the salary. Then they open the P&L and see the real number. It’s a bad moment, and we’ve watched it happen more than we’d like.
Set your 2027 budget with the real number.
The Sticky-Note Math:
- Salary x 1.25 to 1.4: Covers payroll taxes, benefits, and PTO.
- Add the extras: Tools, equipment, meals, travel, and hiring costs.
- Add the ramp-up: Count the first 90 days at partial output.
Sample: $80K x 1.3 is $104K before extras.
Before You Post the Role:
- Check the P&L: Can the business carry the full cost?
- Define the return: What should this role deliver? If you can’t say, that’s the first fix.
- Plan the ramp: Expect a slow first quarter and budget for it.
Know the real number before you hire. Then you can decide if the role earns it.