Tis the Season: How to Recruit, Train, and Retain Seasonal Staff

Great staff are critical all year long, but especially during the holidays. The question is, with so much demand and fierce competition for people amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays, how can you find the right-fit seasonal workers? 

Six Tips
Tip #1: Assess pay.
Before you post a position, make sure the compensation is more than fair. If yours is not, hiring the best workers for your team is going to be a lot harder. The most talented and experienced seasonal workers typically go after the most lucrative opportunities, so it’s worth it to increase what you can offer as much as you can.
Tip #2: Ask for referrals.The best place to start when it comes to seasonal hiring is with your current team. Reach out and ask about referrals for the positions you’re trying to fill. Make sure you’re offering some type of reward to employees who provide you with good referrals. Remember, your existing employee network could be the steppingstone to your next star performer.

Tip #3: Promote your opening.
Promote your seasonal openings across job boards and on social media platforms. Ask your employee network to share these openings with their own social networks, as well. Create job descriptions that are clear and concise and make it easy for candidates to apply. 

Tip #4: Provide a positive candidate experience.
Today’s candidates expect more from employers. Make sure they have a positive experience with you, even if you don’t hire them. Confirm receipt of their application, explain next steps in the hiring process, communicate openly and often, and be as authentic and transparent as possible. Keep in mind, this process reflects your company and your brand to a large group of people—even potential customers or future employees. 

Tip #5: Offer effective training.
Provide robust training opportunities to new hires, so they feel comfortable and can get up to speed as quickly as possible. Consider pairing each new employee with a buddy or mentor to reach out and ask questions, get guidance, and access support when needed. 

Tip #6: Check in with managers.
Employees, even temporary ones, will quit over a bad manager. In fact, a GoodHire survey recently confirmed that, reporting that 82% of workers said they would quit over a “bad” manager. So if you have managers struggling to lead, then now’s the time to offer training in leadership and interpersonal skills to improve retention and reduce turnover among both temporary and full-time staff.  

Need help finding and hiring workers?

As a leading staffing agency serving the West Michigan area, we know turnover is high and the Great Resignation is still ongoing. We can help! 

Whether it’s temp, seasonal employees you’re after or full-time new hires, our recruiters know where to source the best talent, then how to screen and vet them rigorously. You’ll get the people you need—where and when you need them—to hit the ground running for seasonal openings and full-time ones. Get started now.