Bring on temporary help efficiently by heeding these five tips
By Becca Freiberg, Society Insurance
Typically, this is the time of year when ski resorts across the country would be hiring tens of thousands of workers, and the retail industry would be looking for people to staff the holiday shopping season. College students would be planning to work during winter break to make some extra cash before school starts again. This year, however, is anything but typical.
Today, as companies across the United States reopen, business owners may be scrambling to call workers back while determining how many employees they need to sustain operations—and how many they can afford to employ while revenue is down. This creates a massive uncertainty in hiring staff.
Seasonal and temporary workers have a number of benefits for an employer. There is often a shorter hiring process, as you’re not necessarily looking for a longlasting cultural fit; there are reduced long-term labor costs, as you’re not providing a salaried position; and, perhaps the most alluring, the position is extremely flexible, allowing you to better respond to changing market needs and demands.
Society Insurance, which specializes in coverage packages and risk control services for the hospitality industry, has five tips to help companies be effective in hiring qualified seasonal workers.
1. Consider partnering with a staffing agency.
Although there is a cost, staffing agencies are a valuable resource for finding talent quickly and efficiently. These agencies already have an applicant pool that allows them to easily determine which applicant would be a good fit based on needs. A staffing agency does the heavy lifting for employers who are striking out when searching for workers, as well as those who don’t have the time to conduct a comprehensive interview process. Staffing agencies can assist with temp-to-hire, full-time or temporary employees.
2. Focus efforts on students or retirees.
If you’re looking for staff for peak summer season or to help you through a December rush, advertise to your local high school or university. Students who have seasonal breaks, such as summers off or winter holidays, are typically looking for short-term employment to make a little extra cash. Retirees are another viable seasonal employee pool. Nearly 10,000 Baby Boomers retire every day. Many of them have flexible schedules; they may want something to occupy their time or supply income for hobbies and vacations.
If a student or retiree is a good employee, let them know they can come back next year. It’s far easier to retain a good employee than it is to find another.
3. Start looking well in advance.
As soon as you know temporary help will be needed, begin your candidate search. Many students look for jobs well in advance in order to coordinate with their busy schedules. Advertise on local job boards, reach out to schools, and leverage social media, including on your social media channels, in Facebook groups and on Nextdoor. Exhaust your free resources before reaching out to a staffing agency unless you are pressed for time. Consider an employee referral program with a small incentive to get existing employees to refer people they know and trust.
Having a roster of temporary workers on-hand who you can contact to begin work immediately if you’re in a bind is smart business.
4. Set clear expectations with every job candidate.
Give as many details as possible about the position in the job description and throughout the interview process. If you’re unclear about what kind of employment you are providing, you will be wasting time looking at job applicants who exclusively want long-term, full-time work and will turn down the offer.
Be clear on the duration of the job; set your expectations of the skills and experience required—and stick to them. To lessen the need of continually hiring workers throughout a season due to workers quitting halfway through, some businesses offer an end-of-season bonus, which can be beneficial to a company that is looking for staff to stop working on a specific date.
5. Know seasonal employment liabilities.
Employing seasonal workers can be tricky. Be sure to discuss your state’s regulations of seasonal workers with your legal counsel. For example, misclassifying a worker as an “independent contractor” can open the business up to potential liabilities. Acknowledge employment duration in interviews and in writing, and ask the employee to sign a formal offer letter prior to the start date. Additionally, read up on your state labor laws to see if overtime exemptions and workers’ compensation apply to your business.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Becca Freiberg is a human resources generalist at Society Insurance. Becca has worked in human resources for five years and has experience in benefits, wellness, recruitment, employee engagement and development. She joined Society Insurance in 2019. For more information, visit societyinsurance.com.
