The Scary Side of Seasonal Hiring

The scariest thing about Halloween? It means Christmas is just around the corner.

The scariest thing about Christmas? No, not the prospect of talking to Uncle Arthur about politics all night. The scariest thing is getting the right seasonal help for your business.

Why? Because bringing in seasonal help is a hectic process, where the results seem like a complete toss up.

You don’t have the same potential downside as a bad hire on your permanent staff (the seasonal staffer is probably gone in a few months either way), but bringing in the wrong people can become a drag on your business at the busiest and most crucial time of year.

Here are a few things you can do to make the process a little less intimidating:

Start the Hiring Process Early

The holidays can sneak up on people. One day, it’s the Fourth of July, and everything is about fireworks and beach vacations. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, there’s snow on the ground and Santa’s in every store window.

If you run a business that uses seasonal workers, this can mean trouble.

Begin your seasonal hiring process as early as possible. Even if you are just game-planning lessons from last year, you should be thinking about recruitment early in the year. You’d rather bring people in a couple of weeks too early and have extra time to train, than start too late and regret it all season long.

Have a Clear Recruiting Plan

Remember, you are competing with every other company bringing in seasonal help. If you try to run a willy-nilly program, you will only get the dregs. Also, the lack of a plan can lead to confusion and a drawn-out process.

Know what you are looking for and have a game plan in place for finding your seasonal employees. Target the type of employees that make the most sense for you. Also, streamline the process as much as you can. This isn’t the time for multilevel interviews and weeks-long skills testing.

Don’t Forget About Training and Oversight

You started hiring at the right time and you enacted your plan to perfection. Now, you’ve got a group of eager, qualified seasonal employees. So, you just throw them out there and see what happens, right?

Of course not! But a surprising number of companies don’t build in time and resources for an adequate training regimen.

Because the employees aren’t permanent and because they are working on such a time crunch, managers sometimes don’t see the point to elaborate training. But talented employees who don’t know what they are doing can still become a disaster. It’s crucial to include a detailed training program in your recruitment plan.

Look Past This Season

Major League Baseball teams have minor-league affiliates; small-market organizations that let their new talent learn and develop. Think about seasonal hiring in the same way.

If you happen to find a great employee, don’t just say “goodbye” at the end of the season. Find a way to keep them on, even if on a part-time basis. If that’s not possible, keep them in mind for next year. Let them know you appreciated their help, and when next year rolls around, call them first, before starting the process again. If they are available, you’ve already got one spot filled.

Don’t be scared … Let Qualified Staffing help!

Another way to make seasonal hiring less scary: partner with an expert. Qualified Staffing has talented, skilled workers just waiting to join your team at a moment’s notice. Contact us today to see how we can help you fill out your seasonal staff.