Hiring for the holidays looks a little bit different than hiring someone full-time. The goal of a holiday employee is for them to act as an extra helping hand during the hectic holiday season. The holiday season means longer hours and more people shopping, so those extra hands are very necessary.
But just because holiday employees are short-term doesn’t mean you can just hire anyone. It’s important to be just as diligent and thorough when hiring for the holidays as you would when hiring any other time of the year. So if you’re anticipating a busy holiday season this year and want to get ahead of the game, here are 4 tips to hiring for the holidays:
1. Hire People Who Align With the Company Culture
Your holiday employees are going to be representing your business during the most busy time of the year, so it’s crucial that they align with the company culture. In addition to having a good resume, you want them to have a good personality as well. They’re going to be speaking to more customers on a daily basis than any other time of the year, so make sure they represent your company positively. Be sure to ask the right interview questions so you can get a feel if they would fit well in with the company.
2. Don’t Be Opposed to a Long-Term Hire
I know, you’re hiring for the holidays—but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep them around long-term. When going through the seasonal hiring process, don’t be opposed to a long-term hire.
Someone who you hire for the holidays might just end up being one of your best employees. The holidays are one of the most stressful and busy times of the year, so if they’re capable of handling that, they can handle just about anything. So, during your seasonal hiring process, make sure to look for long-term appeal as well.
3. Train Well
Even though your seasonal employees are just going to be working short-term, that doesn’t mean you can skimp training. Training is important for every employee, no matter how long they’ll be working for you! Training in the beginning will also prevent problems from coming up later down the road.
Spend the time to train them well and make sure they get the hang of it. There are various onboarding tools you can use to ensure your employees have a firm understanding of the business before they actually start work.
4. Track Productivity
The goal of a seasonal employee is for them to help out with increased work demands. So, you don’t want to hire someone who’s just going to sit around and not actually do anything. Tracking productivity is helpful for both you and your employees. It lets you know how much work your employees are doing, but it is also useful to reward employees who are going above and beyond.
Tracking productivity can help you encourage and motivate employees, and overall can just help you have a better idea of your business. There are various ways you can track productivity, such as with time tracking software or project management software.
In addition to all of these tips, it’s also important to conduct good interviews and screen thoroughly during the interview process to ensure that the employees you’re hiring are who they say they are. The holiday season can get hectic, but having some extra hands to help out along the way will make the experience a whole lot more manageable. So if you’re thinking of hiring a few additional workers this holiday season, be sure to check out these 4 tips for hiring for the holidays.
***The information in this article does not necessarily reflect the views of The Global Hues. We are not responsible and do not verify for accuracy of any of the information contained in this article***
