Every November, I start to see the same pattern unfold.
A General Counsel begins a search for a Legal Counsel or CoSec role, interviews are scheduled, and good candidates are in play. Then, as diaries fill and budgets tighten, everything slows down.
Then comes the phone call every recruiter and candidate fears: “Let’s revisit this in the new year.”
It’s understandable. Legal teams are closing out board cycles, compliance officers are deep in reporting season, and HR is under pressure to finalise budgets before the break. The logic is that it’s only a few weeks of delay – that nothing meaningful will happen in December.
But in my experience, that pause often comes at a cost that isn’t immediately visible.
1. The talent market doesn’t stop when your business does.
The best Legal and Compliance professionals rarely stay available for long. By late November, they’re already having conversations – sometimes quietly, sometimes with intent – about what their next move will be after bonuses are paid out.
A candidate who was enthusiastic about your role two weeks ago may accept elsewhere before the holidays even begin. And when January arrives, the same company that hit pause finds itself competing with multiple offers, higher salary expectations, and a far noisier market.
2. Momentum builds trust. Silence erodes it.
Hiring decisions communicate more than intent, they communicate stability. When candidates experience a sudden slowdown in feedback, it creates uncertainty. Even if your internal reason is simply timing, it’s interpreted externally as indecision or shifting priorities.
Legal and Compliance professionals, in particular, are attuned to signals of governance, structure, and decisiveness.
When communication stops mid-process, it subtly undermines your employer brand and makes it harder to re-engage those same candidates later.
3. Vacancies in critical control functions carry risk.
Unlike many other business areas, unfilled roles in Legal, Risk, or CoSec functions don’t just delay progress, they expose the business to compliance risk.
A missing Legal Counsel can mean slower contract turnaround and increased bottlenecks. A vacant Company Secretary role can put board coordination and disclosure at risk. Even a short-term gap in a Compliance team can delay audits or trigger avoidable non-compliance findings.
What looks like a convenient pause can quietly widen your organisation’s exposure.
4. You can hire now – and still start later.
There’s a misconception that hiring in December means onboarding during the holidays. In reality, it often means finalising decisions now so that your new hire starts fresh in January. That’s a much better outcome than beginning the search again in Q1, when competition peaks and the same shortlist has vanished.
The advantage of keeping momentum isn’t just about speed – it’s about signalling confidence, protecting your pipeline, and starting the new year already equipped.
Final thought
In Legal, Compliance and CoSec, timing is more than logistics – it’s part of your risk posture.
The market doesn’t wait for convenience, and neither should your hiring strategy.
If you’ve found the right people, wrap things up while engagement is high. Secure the offer, plan the start for January, and go into the new year with your critical roles already covered.
Choose not to wait.
OutsideCapital Connecting high-impact Legal, Compliance & CoSec professionals with businesses that can’t afford to get it wrong.
📧 andrew@outsidecapital.co.za #LegalRecruitment #Compliance #CompanySecretarial #Governance #LegalMoves
