Strategies for Hiring Seasonal Workers

Does your business rely on seasonal employees for the upcoming holiday season? If so, you’ll want to keep reading.

Though temporary, seasonal workers are invaluable resources for small, medium, and large-sized businesses. As your need to meet customers’ demands increases, expectations, and increased volumes, temporary workers ensure your business shares the workload while putting your best foot forward every time. However, how do you find the right talent to support your busiest season?

Many hurdles impact businesses needing additional support for their full-time staff, particularly around the holidays when industries like retail, hospitality, and professional services see a demand increase. It is crucial to devote time, effort, and resources to support the recruitment process to ensure its success. If your business is in need of seasonal support for the upcoming holiday season or if you have struggled to hire temporary staff in the past, we outline some tactics for recruiting temporary employees ahead of the seasonal rush.

Attract Talent with Better Job Descriptions

You want your employees to put their best foot forward. Make sure you put yours forward, too! Dedicate time to review your job descriptions and ensure they accurately communicate who your ideal candidate is and what they will be responsible for. Consider working with an existing employee to develop job descriptions for their role. Ask questions about their responsibilities, what their workload is like, and key areas a new hire can lend support to. By understanding the ins and outs of the job, new seasonal workers can hit the ground running in places their help is needed most.

Communicate with Candidates that work is Seasonal

Be clear in your job description that the contract is for a seasonal worker and extension is not available. You’ll be pleased to know a rich network of workers from various skill sets are looking for temporary work. If your position offers potential for full-time or permanent hire include that in the job description.

Give Onboarding your Full Effort

Whether your seasonal staff is large or small, dedicate time, attention, and resources to train new employees. This means giving your staff the resources it needs to learn the job before carrying out tasks independently. At first, this may mean shadowing existing employees, job-specific training sessions, and patience.

Attitude Matters

You can teach aptitude not attitude. When hiring seasonal staff, it is important to get new hires up to speed quickly, so they can alleviate permanent staff’s workload. Hiring staff with the right can-do attitude who are willing to learn the ins and outs of the job is a helpful approach when filling employment gaps for the upcoming season.

Don’t Cut Corners

While seasonal hires are only here temporarily, do not cut corners in the hiring and human resources process. Onboard new employees as you would full-time hires and ensure to adhere to labour laws. Additionally, speak with your insurance broker to add any additional staff to your existing policy, and determine if additional coverage is needed while these staff members are a part of your team. 

Considerations for the Future

Though most temporary hires will remain temporary, never overlook a potential permanent hire. To help, conduct performance evaluations on temporary employees and keep an open mind for those who may be a great permanent addition to your team. 

In conclusion, hiring seasonal staff for the holiday season can greatly benefit businesses in a number of ways. From providing extra help during the busy shopping period to offering specialized expertise, hiring seasonal staff allows companies to maintain high levels of customer service and meet the increased demands of the holiday season. Additionally, hiring seasonal staff can provide valuable opportunities for individuals seeking temporary employment or wanting to gain experience in a particular industry. However, it is crucial for businesses to carefully plan and execute their seasonal hiring process to ensure a smooth transition and maximize the potential of their seasonal staff. By following best practices, providing appropriate training and support, and seeking out the adequate insurance to cover seasonal hires on the job, businesses can create a positive and productive work environment for their regular and seasonal staff. Overall, hiring seasonal staff for the holiday season can be a win-win situation, benefiting businesses and employees alike as they work together to make the holiday period successful.