The holidays are a joyous time with lights twinkling on every street corner and stores full of shoppers eager to find that “perfect gift.”While spirits are brighter than ever, so too is demand for goods and services, which in a tight labor market, one of the tightest in modern history, makes managing that demand challenging. With the talent pool dwindling by the minute, how can companies meet seasonal workforce demands? Hiring for the holidays doesn’t have to make you feel like the Grinch; here are five tips to help you secure the workers you need.
Hiring For The Holidays: 5 Tips To Keep You Merry
#1 Think Outside Of The (Gift) Box
When it comes to hiring for the holidays, especially in 2021, employers must think outside of the box. Instead of only hiring perfectly qualified candidates that check every box, open up seasonal roles for retirees, veterans, high school and college students, and others who can allow you to meet peak needs. These groups often have more free time during the holidays, allowing them to work flexible schedules or overtime as needed. Additionally, there may be some tax benefits available to employers for hiring these types of workers.
#2 Be A Star
There are more seasonal jobs than workers willing to fill them, so employers must stand out if they want to lure in applicants. Temporary workers often go where the highest wages and best perks are, so it’s crucial to offer the best hiring package that you can. Take a look at your industry, see what other employers are offering to new seasonal hires, and compete or differentiate when possible. Do other employers offer $16/hour but no perks? Perhaps offering $15/hour with a generous paid-time-off (PTO) program will tip the scale in your direction, especially for workers looking to stay on board after the seasonal rush. Research for the Robert Half Salary Guide reveals that 57% of workers consider PTO a top workplace perk. Do your research and experiment to see what makes you shine!
#3 Check Your List Early
Hiring for the holidays is definitely hectic so it pays to start early! Determine how many seasonal workers you will need to meet demands, but don’t wait to get started. If you wait too long to hire seasonal workers, your current employees will spend the holiday rush training temporary workers instead of attending to other more productive tasks or worse yet, you will have untrained workers frantically trying to learn the ropes on the job, leading to costly mistakes. Aim to hire seasonal workers two to three weeks before peak hits so they can be fully trained and productive before peak begins. Early hiring also allows you to weed out bad hires before you get into the full hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
#4 Stay With The Tried & True But Don’t Be Afraid To Branch Out
If you’ve hired seasonal talent before, ask yourself what has worked in the past? If past seasonal talent came from current employees, LinkedIn, or referrals consider doubling down on those avenues while adding a few new methods. It’s helpful to cast a wide net when searching for seasonal workers because many applicants won’t be the right fit on paper or in person. If you’re curious about a new mobile job app or want to run a booth at a local job fair, the holiday season is the perfect time to branch out with your recruiting process.
#5 Make It As Easy As Pie
Seasonal applicants have choices about where they work, so job applications that are complicated or time-consuming will likely get put on the back-burner, or be avoided entirely. When online job applications are too long or too complicated, 60% of job seekers leave. A streamlined and intuitive application encourages qualified applicants to apply. Aim for an application to take no longer than five minutes, avoid jargon, and ensure that all questions can be easily understood and answered by the majority of people.
In A Nutshell
To meet seasonal workforce demands, remember to think outside the box, stand out from other employers, start early, try both old and new tactics, and make applications easy for workers. Hiring for the holidays is critical for businesses of all sizes, however, seasonal workers aren’t valuable for a few short months, they can also become part of your permanent workforce!
If you need assistance hiring for the holidays, the team at NexusCW can help. Our full-service staffing and recruiting solutions consistently deliver the best talent to our clients across the country. See more here.