How to Source Seasonal Help Quickly

Thanks have been given and Halloween is a ghost of a memory. That means the holidays are fast approaching. But you can avoid the seasonal stress that can come from being short staffed. Follow these tips on how to find the best holiday employees in a hurry and you’ll be breezing through the season in no time.

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Ask your other employees.

Referrals are usually the best hires. Plus, the people who already work for you have a good idea of what you’re looking for and can help with training. You can sweeten the deal by offering employees some kind of referral incentive.

Bring back the best of last year’s help.

It’s much easier and more efficient to hire people who already know the ropes than it is to start from scratch. Reach out to past seasonal helpers and let this season’s good ones know you’ll keep them in mind for future holiday needs.

Tap into the student crowd.

College and university students typically get time off around the holidays and are usually looking for ways to make a few extra bucks. Plus, students are often used to working off hours and late nights — times less desirable to others. Reach out to nearby schools and ask them to share your job listing.

Blast all your channels with “we’re hiring” messages.

Make sure it’s front and centre on your website, post repeatedly on social media, and reach out to loyal customers on your email lists to see if they can refer you to anyone who’s looking for work. If you have a brick-and-mortar store, put a “we’re hiring” sign in the window and leave a stack of applications near the entrance.

Differentiate between what you want and what you need.

Think about the qualities you really need in an employee. You might want someone with lots of retail experience and a university degree, but you really need someone who’s enthusiastic, punctual, and a fast learner. If you can, extend the interview to the sales floor and see how candidates perform in a real-world setting before offering them the job.

Aim to have seasonal hires in place, trained, and working ASAP so that your extended team can hit the ground running by the time December mayhem begins.