The posting
The final sprint of the year: how Opus Recruitment prepares for the Christmas rush 7 October '26 Written by Sude Tomak For many companies in South Holland, the busiest period of the year starts as early as October and continues until about a week before Christmas. Distribution centres run extra shifts to make sure orders reach customers on time, production companies increase their output, and in the horticultural sector, Christmas arrangements, Christmas trees and seasonal plants need to be shipped before the holidays begin. This means one thing: more people are needed in a short period of time. Why preparation starts now Companies that only start looking for extra staff at the end of October or beginning of November have a much smaller pool of candidates to choose from. By then, everyone is looking at the same time and good candidates are quickly taken. That is why we start planning ahead with our clients as early as August: how many people will be needed, during which weeks and in which departments? The sooner this is clear, the better we can find the right people and keep them available. Good planning makes the difference The workload builds up over a few weeks and then quickly decreases during the final week before Christmas. By then, everything needs to be ready, as the orders will already be with the customers. That is why we plan per week and per sector, rather than making one large staffing request for the entire period. This helps prevent having too few people during the busiest weeks and too many towards the end. What we discuss with our clients: - Expected volumes per week, based on last year and current orders - Which positions require additional staff, such as order picking, packing or production work - Shift work, weekend work and the final working day of the peak period - What new employees need to know and be able to do on their first day Familiar faces return Every year, people return during the...



