How to Effectively Add Staff for a Busy Holiday Season
The holidays are just around the corner.
For some, they conjure images of brightly wrapped gifts and nights spent with loved ones. But you? You’re consumed with thoughts of backlogged orders, impatient customers and having to recruit and train yet another slew of seasonal workers.
Fa-la-la-la-la, it’s your busiest time of year.
If you know your company’s workload is about to peak, what’s the best way to ramp up productivity, hit your goals and keep everyone full of cheer? Here’s how to effectively add holiday staff for your busy season:
Get a jump on the competition.
Whether you plan to hire on your own or engage temporary workers, get the wheels in motion early to access the best talent – because by the time November arrives, high performers will already have their seasonal gigs lined up.
Reach out to former seasonal employees.
Develop a “boomerang” program that tracks and maintains a relationship with your best seasonal workers year-round. When you’re ready to staff up for your busy season, you can approach these individuals first.
Work with a qualified staffing partner.
A national employment agency like PrideStaff can help you develop a seasonal staffing plan which will allow you to:
- Hit your deadlines and stay on budget.
- Access qualified temporary workers right when you need them.
- Control fixed employment expenses.
- Eliminate the time and expense of recruiting, vetting, hiring – and then laying off – direct seasonal employees.
- Shorten learning curves and keep productivity high. Your staffing partner will assign temporary associates who already possess the specific skills and experience you require – and are ready to make an immediate contribution.
- Prevent employee burnout and keep morale high by providing the support your direct employees need.
Tips for getting the best results from temporary seasonal workers:
- Plan early! It’s never too soon to discuss an upcoming need with your staffing partner.
- Invite your account manager on-site to help you analyze your workflow, identify potential bottlenecks and prepare a comprehensive plan to accommodate shifts in demand and workload.
- Ask your staffing partner for help in creating job descriptions for seasonal assignments, so they can accurately recruit candidates who meet or exceed your requirements.
- If you have high-volume seasonal staffing needs, inquire about customized training to quickly ramp-up the productivity of temporary associates.
Gearing up for your busy holiday season?
Contact your local PrideStaff office to schedule a free seasonal staffing consultation. Together, we can develop a cost-effective, flexible staffing strategy to make your busy season the most wonderful time of the year.
