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In the middle of all the tension, excitement and hard work of the holiday season, the last thing you want to be worried about is not having enough personnel to pull all of it off. A strong, well-informed and well-trained labor force will help maintain continuity and may also provide you with an advantage over the competition.

Because of this, the process of taking on seasonal workers has become necessary during the early winter months and even in the fall. Particularly for companies with large changes in productions or service, getting a seasonal staff ready shouldn’t be done in the moment. In fact, the hunt for capable seasonal workers should occur all year.

For some companies, not fully engaging the seasonal hiring process in September means giving competitors a lead on you in the labor market. Screening job seekers in September gives you time to evaluate how they will fit with full-time employees. This also puts you ahead of the curve with regards to making the required modifications as time progresses.

The first place to search for seasonal help is your part-time staff. By drawing from the pool of employees already acquainted with your company, you can be confident they will catch on rapidly with your standard procedures.

As you start to flesh out your holiday staffing, you should also search for and cultivate particular traits among the potential hires. Starting that process early gives you a peek at who will make the greatest progress during those vital holiday months. You’re not only trying to find warm bodies, you’re trying to find individuals who are going to do well under pressure.

What to look for when looking ahead

It is quite possible part-time staff just won’t be capable of meeting your seasonal needs. This further emphasizes the reason to start early: You have to evaluate upcoming needs and predict where you’ll have to make the most significant modifications. Review areas like your production schedule; your production from the past year; and your existing coverage to predict your seasonal requirements.

Getting seasonal employees ready

Training is also a valuable part of success for seasonal staff. Supervisors should invest a great deal of time coaching them on how to do their jobs the proper way, which may take a bit longer with seasonal hires. A main objective of this training ought to be getting seasonal staff members to buy into your mission and do a good job whenever they walk in.

Look for standout performances

Seasonal staff members not only provide you with an added boost during the busy season, they also supply a pool of talent if full-time hiring needs arise down the road. From that point of view, you can look at seasonal work almost like a two- or three-month job interview.

It’s also essential to recognize both concrete and intangible accomplishments when making full-time employment decisions. For the workers who stood out, be sure to at least acknowledge you’ll consider them for full-time work if the opportunity arises.

Need help with seasonal staffing?

At Cornerstone, we work to ensure our clients are well staffed for their busy seasons. Please contact us today to find out how we can help your organization meet its seasonal staffing needs.


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