It’s normal for businesses to experience ebbs and flows with their demand during certain points in the year. As such, the holiday season is known for the greatest influx in most industries. For businesses who may already be experiencing challenges retaining or attracting the right talent, hiring seasonal employees can be the key to success during these heightened periods. A seasonal employee is typically hired in a temporary or part-time position for only a few months of the year. While there are many benefits for a contact or temporary employee to pursue seasonal employment, this blog will delve into the many perks for businesses when they hire seasonal employees.
Cost Effective
As aforementioned, businesses often face slower and busier periods throughout a given year, and as such, it makes more financial sense to not staff positions that are not needed all year round. Hiring seasonal employees ensures that you’re only paying for the extra support when you need it. Employers are also not required to pay for benefits, insurance or time off for temporary workers. Additionally, this decreases the chances of having your full-time staff work overtime hours, which further reduces employment costs. Ultimately, you get the staff you need, when you need it without the long-term financial commitment.
Fill Staff Shortages
Seasonal employers can help your business fill any gaps within your team. For example, if a full-time employee is on leave or taking extended time off, it may not make sense to hire a long-term replacement. However, going without the additional support may not be feasible, which is why a temporary seasonal worker could benefit your business. This short-term commitment can help you gain a flexible employee, and should it go well or they are needed longer, a contract can always be extended.
Low Risk Hiring
Hiring a new team member can always be risky should the time and effort you spend attracting and onboarding them result in someone who isn’t ultimately a good fit for the business. This can not only hurt your bottom line, but team morale as well. Seasonal hiring can be a way for both employers and employees to get to know each other without having to get into a more profound commitment too quickly. By offering a contract with the potential for full-time employment, a company has time to determine if a person is going to grow in the same direction as their business.
Long-Term Opportunity
However, should the temporary employee exemplify skills that would be beneficial in your business long-term and have proven their dependability, this provides an opportunity to hire them full-time. Alternatively, should you not be looking to hire full-time at the moment, you’ve made the connection to reach out to when the occasion arises. Finding the right talent is tough, so when you find them, it’s important not to loose them.
Diversified Workforce
Seasonal workers are an opportunity to create a more diverse team. Hiring for a seasonal position provides you the freedom and flexibility to employ someone who may be different than what you’d normally look for. While hiring for culture fit preserves comfort and familiarity by hiring based on what you know already works in your environment, hiring for a culture add looks for individuals who value an organization’s culture, but also bring something different and new that positively contributes to your organization. The goal with this is that their unique experience will increase the pool of knowledge you can draw from in your workforce to improve efficiency and increase success within your business.
Higher Morale
During high periods for your business, your full-time staff can often be overworked and stressed to meet the demands required, which can poorly affect employee morale. Poor morale can in turn affect productivity, as well as create a higher turnover rate if your employees begin to leave for a less stressful employment situation. By adding seasonal employees to your team, you are giving your existing employees the support they need and taking the pressure off of their work, and ultimately, fostering a higher morale. Additionally, with higher productivity and more staff, your clients will receive better service in turn.
Attracting Seasonal Workers
With the Canadian unemployment rate sitting at 5.2%, attracting and landing the right seasonal talent can be difficult. That said, the best way to recruit new hires is through creating a strong social media recruitment strategy. Once you have qualified prospects, you’ll want to ensure your offer to them is enticing. By considering the desires of a seasonal employee in your offer, you are showing them that as an employer you respect their contributions and are willing to go the extra mile for your team. Historically, seasonal employees find the following benefits attractive when choosing employment:
- Weekly payouts
- Flexible scheduling
- End-of-season performance bonus
- Consideration for a permanent role post-season
- Company discount or perks
If your business needs support sourcing seasonal talent, LRO Staffing is here to help. We have large candidate pools of temporary workers who have been pre-screened and are ready to work. This ensures that your recruitment process is as short and seamless as possible so that you can focus on doing what you do best, running your business. For more information or to be put in touch with one of our experienced recruiters, contact us today.
