The holiday season is nearly upon us, and many companies are in full swing advertising, interviewing and hiring seasonal employees. If you have a seasonal business, here are some valuable tips to consider when investing in and hiring seasonal employees.
- Evaluate – While some businesses, such as retail stores at Christmas or ski resorts in the winter, rely on hiring seasonal employees, it is best to evaluate the current staff before hiring additional employees. Analyze past trends and learn when you need to have seasonal employees start.
- Comply – Comply with all country or state requirements for seasonal employees., which includes minimum wage, pay regulations for nights, weekends or overtime, health insurance requirements and labor regulations for teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17.
Here are some additional tips to follow when interviewing and hiring seasonal employees:
- Job Descriptions – Write specific job descriptions and clearly state that you are only recruiting for a seasonal position. In some cases, be sure to put the title of the job and then “Winter Seasonal” next to it in parenthesis. Also clearly state any requirements for the job, such as prior cashier experience, necessary ski instructor training, etc. If the position requires heavy lifting, clearly indicate the physical demands of the job. Being upfront will help you attract more qualified candidates’ resumes that clearly understand the requirements of the position.
- Advertise – There are a variety of job boards that have more seasonal job postings than others. For example, make sure to post the position on your company’s website and social media pages, but also explore Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder and Snagajob. Other websites that are dedicated to seasonal employment postings include: CoolWorks, SeasonalJobs and BackdoorJobs.
- Evaluating Candidates – Consider evaluating candidates in groups initially, which will help if companies receive a lot of qualified resumes. Even though the position is seasonal, hire for both the cultural fit and qualifications, not solely based on skills.
- Retaining Employees – Something seasonal companies understand is that if an employee quits mid peak season, they have a significant gap in their workforce and it’s difficult to train someone for a job that only has a matter of weeks or months remaining. To help detour employees from leaving jobs early, consider offering end-of-season bonuses for employees that stayed on the entire season. Additionally, consider offering loyalty bonuses to returning staff to help offset training expenses the following year.
- Creative Benefits and Perks – Offering creative benefits, such as flexible schedules, can be desirable to prospective candidates.
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