Does your business experience an increase in sales during the holiday season? Do you consistently need extra hands during tax time? Or maybe you’re always looking for additional staff to help fill orders during the long days of summer. Whenever you need to hire seasonal workers, it’s important to give them an experience that leaves them feeling appreciated and valuable—and eager to come back to work next season.
In today’s tight labor market, it’s hard enough to recruit and hire a full-time employee. To find top-notch temporary workers, companies need to offer robust compensation plans, perks and really invest in retention tactics to engage new employees.
Here are some of the top strategies to attract and retain seasonal employees.
Pay Seasonal Employees More Money
OK—this might seem like a no-brainer, but competition for workers is tough during the busy holiday season. Offering top dollar is the easiest way to make your company stand out and attract talent. Most people looking for part-time work aren’t expecting to be hired into a position fulltime. They’re looking to make extra cash. Offering a higher base wage could even entice people who had no intention of entering the workforce. In a nutshell, money talks.
Choose the Right Recruiting Platform
All good fishermen know how to find the best watering holes. The same can be said for the best recruiters. To find seasonal employees, you need to be strategic when it comes to recruiting. Consider partnering with an opposite season employer. For instance, if you’re in retail and need help during the holidays, target employees who work at places that are only open in warm weather (like amusement parks or outdoor sporting venues). If you need help during the summer, reach out to teachers and college students—offer them an opportunity they can’t refuse. To reach these targeted audiences, invest in best-in-class recruiting software ATS which can help streamline and optimize the process.
Ramp Up Your Employee Appreciation Tactics
It can be tricky to show employee appreciation in a manner that resonates with every employee. You have to consider a litany of personalities, balancing introverts and extroverts alike, and you have to do so during your busiest time of the year. But it’s important to keep in mind that showing seasonal workers that they’re valued doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. In fact, praise and a simple “thank you” can go a long way in the overall employee experience. Or course, cash bonuses, free lunches or unexpected PTO always go over well too.
Offer Incentives to Return Next Season
A return employee can be twice as valuable—they are already familiar with your business and can hit the ground running, possibly even helping new seasonal hires get up to speed. Be sure to give them a good reason to return. Conduct exit interviews at the end of your busy season and ask who might be interested in returning with the added incentives of a higher wage, more responsibilities and better benefits. Even for those workers who decline to return, the exit interview is an opportunity for you to discover why and fix any issues mentioned. It’s also important to keep in touch with off-season communication. Whether it’s a regular newsletter or emails, keep seasonal employees engaged year-round.
How Paycor Can Help
Choosing the right applicant tracking system is not unlike choosing the right candidate for the job. You need to evaluate your internal environment and determine your immediate needs. Once you’ve established your criteria, you can effectively vet the options against your needs. Selecting the right ATS allows you to dramatically improve your recruiting and hiring process.
For more information on how Paycor’s ATS can help you make a difference in your organization, contact us today.