MightyRecruiterWhen you hire extra help to get through the busy seasons, you are given the unique advantage of determining how new employees fit in to your company’s ideals without a commitment to the future. On the other side of the coin, how do you keep employees that have shown themselves to have initiative, drive and creativity during their seasonal stint with your company? It’s a double edged sword, and one your company must use to its advantage in order to keep good employees during seasonal jobs. If you hire an individual to work through a season, you are faced with the unique challenge of getting them to invest in the future of the company even when they know their employment has an expiration date. We have a few tips to keep your employees invested all season long.
Is Their Experience Valuable?
Seasonal employees need to feel as if they are earning more than just a paycheck. What do they have to learn from your company that can benefit them in the future? While they may just have a job planned for the summer, there are unique things they can learn from your company and organization. Those looking for seasonal jobs want a paycheck, but they also want to contribute to your company’s cause and feel as if they have made a worthwhile investment of their time. Start building value with a new employee orientation. Keep it simple but effective, and ensure that your seasonal employees feel as if they are valued. Highlight why the company is a great place to work and what the company’s values are mission are. Show how your company is different from any other, and let them connect the dots regarding how they are making a different during their seasonal jobs. You may have an employee that rings up purchases all day, but is that employee invested in the process of providing a quality product to customers and making them smile? A seasonal janitor should believe that they are part of giving customers a great experience rather than just in charge of scrubbing floors. Show your seasonal employees how they are part of the bigger picture.
Do They Feel Included?
This may be the first job many of your seasonal hires have, and walking into a company that is unfamiliar can be intimidating. Try hosting an activity where your seasonal hires can meet your regular, full-time employees and get to know them outside the office. Create a space where they feel comfortable to ensure that they don’t bail and leave you short-handed during your busiest months. Also, remind your regular staff that it’s important to make the seasonal help feel comfortable and to treat them as if they are regular members of the team. Hold them accountable for mistakes and give them the resources they need to do their jobs right.
How Are They Doing?
You have regular performance reviews with your regular employees, but it’s easy to forget to ïtake the temperature’ of those with seasonal jobs. Although this is likely to be your busiest season, don’t neglect the fact that you need to check in with seasonal hires regularly. Keep morale and engagement high when you know how your employees are feeling. Check in semi-weekly or weekly with them to see how they like working for your company, and what they need to make the experience a more positive one.
Do They Need a Break?
Seasonal jobs, particularly in the summer, can be incredibly busy. Your seasonal employees may be asked to work more hours in order to handle the influx of business. Give all your employees plenty of time to recharge and relax when they need it. If an employee is closing the shop the night before, don’t schedule them to open the next day. These simple changes can make all the difference in seasonal employee burnout.
What Do They Contribute?
Your seasonal hires are a huge part of the busiest season for your business ï and they should be acknowledged for their contributions to your profits and revenue. Try bringing the same seasonal hires back every year, and add to their responsibilities each time they come back. Seasonal jobs are a valuable part of your workforce, and should be committed to contributing something valuable every time they come back.
Learn More
Here at Mighty Recruiter, we have the tools and resources you need to keep your company staffed with the best in the business, regardless of which season you are in. Use the resources here to learn more about keeping seasonal employees happy throughout their tenure with your company.