Many companies choose to hire temporary help toward the end of the year, to withstand the seasonal demand on their products or services. In many cases, companies use temporary workers to offset the time off or holiday pay that full-time or permanent workers receive. Seasonal or temporary staffing can help your business remain competitive, and will allow you to add staff with less risk than hiring for full-time positions.
When hiring seasonal staff, here are some things to keep in mind:
1. Anticipate Demand: Before determining how much temporary help you’ll need, do a quick forecast of previous year-end seasons or annual trends to help you hire strategically.
2. Hire Early: To get the best seasonal applicants, you’ll want to start searching and recruiting well ahead of your anticipated need. This ensures you will have adequate time to advertise for the position, as well as to hire and train applicants.
3. Use a Temp Staffing Agency: Indianapolis temporary agencies like That’s Good HR that specialize in temporary staffing can help you find a greater pool of applicants for your seasonal employment demands. In addition, they can be a good resource if you don’t have time or resources for the hiring process. Staffing agencies can also post your position on the national or local job boards, assist with employment guidelines and even handle payroll for you.
4. Screen Applicants for Perfect Fit: Don’t just hire any temporary worker; consider the qualities important to the position and that would be the best fit for the team, and make sure those qualities appear in your job description, or that you communicate them to your temporary staffing agency.
5. Allow Time for Training: Especially if you are hiring for categories such as customer service, accounting or finance, you’ll want to allow plenty of time for your new, seasonal hires to learn the company culture, processes and customer service requirements at your firm.
6. Continue your Search Year-Round: Once you have a few, good temporary workers in your back pocket, you’ll be better equipped if you encounter a future demand throughout the rest of the year. In addition, you may find a few hidden gems that you want to hire on permanently.
