No sooner have the summer holidays ended, the children have gone back to school and the thought of Christmas is upon you.
Balancing work and family life can be challenging at the best of times without the added stresses and the potentially time-consuming process of hiring seasonal staff for those busier times of the year.
Some suggestions that could make the task run more smoothly for you;
Start before your competitors
Advertise positions that you need filling as early as 3-4 months prior to the time frame you need. This will hopefully ensure you have plenty of time to not only fill the posts but will give you more choice in selecting the right candidate(s). Inevitably, those who leave it to the last minute, will be left not only struggling to find staff but finding those of the right caliber.
Employ your customers
It may sound ludicrous, but who knows and likes your company best apart from you? Customers are people you can approach directly and an added benefit of knowing them already is that you can be sure that they are suitable and will work well within your team. Moreover, this may well have the added advantage of avoiding advertising costs.
You could also make the post more appealing by offering staff discounts etc. that would be particularly appealing during holiday time.
Ask your existing employees for referrals/recommendations
Your loyal, hardworking employees may well know like-minded people. Perhaps an assumption, but they are likely to suggest people they feel would work well and enhance the team. To encourage this you could motivate your existing staff with some sort of referral programme on referring potential candidates.
Retirees
They can be somewhat overlooked, but with an ageing society, a retired person could be the perfect choice. With a wealth of life experience and widening/diversifying your employee group at the same time. With potentially more flexibility over work arrangements, they could be the answer. Furthermore, retirees may return for another season whereby students may only work a one-off season especially once they’ve graduated.
As at any time of the year taking on staff can be an arduous task. Being clear about what you need and want and allowing yourself plenty of time could make such a difference, freeing up time for other areas of your business.
If you would like some more pointers on taking on seasonal staff please get in touch with our very own payroll whizz Alex.