With the end of the year comes the seasonal recruitment push. At the forefront, retailers are competing for talent in customer service, warehouse roles, distribution and delivery, and in larger numbers than ever before.
How can you stay competitive recruiting in the holiday season with unemployment rates reaching record lows? According to HR Dive, businesses are increasing wage rates and benefits for hourly workers. But what is really the most effective strategy when businesses are competing for similar talent demographics?
An early start is key
“With the tight labour market, retailers, fulfilment centres and transport companies will have a difficult time finding and attracting talent.”
Organisations will need to offer benefits and perks to attract workers from their existing roles. Candidates seeking opportunities will obtain great experience if applying for season positions.
But talent professionals need to act fast.
“Candidates may be unwilling to make moves to new organisations if the economic outlook becomes less certain. There are warning signs that we may be hit with a recession as early as 2020, which means recruiters will need to be agile in their approach.” (Greg Summers, EVP of High Volume RPO at Cielo, HR Dive.)
“Starting to recruit workers for the holiday season early means you’re more likely to build a relationship with them, which is incredibly important when it comes to retaining workers through such a competitive time.” (Beatrice Pang, VP of strategy and finance at Wonolo, HR Dive.)
Craft a talent acquisition plan
“In addition to competitive wages, a number of retailers last year offered signing bonuses, discounts or special shopping days for associates.”
Employers will have to figure out what fits their own brand and budget. Speak to previous employees from the holiday season to discover what attracted them to the roles.
Benefits and perks
“When one of our clients did this, they found out that offering an employee discount was the number one reason that employees chose to work for them — above pay and promise of a full-time position,”
“Competitive wages may still be king…it’s common for incentives like free lunch and free parking to be a key factor in their job selection.” (Pang.)
Social media plans
“Employers also may want to include their social media plans in their recruitment marketing strategy; sites like Facebook Jobs generate significant traffic that can benefit organisations looking to hire in high quantities.”
New technology
“Employers also are using new technologies and social media to attract and engage potential workers, including mobile tech. Seasonal workers, particularly in the retail space, want a hiring experience that is like a brand’s consumer experience. Using technology that can help them streamline burdensome tasks like interview scheduling will be key to their success in filling open seasonal roles.” (Summers.)
Hiring events
If you’re looking to source a large number of new hires quickly, consider using events. Events, if executed correctly, can deliver great returns.
Employers looking to find a lot of talent quickly may want to consider hiring events, Challenger said. If well-promoted such events can produce a great return, Challenger said. Summers agreed that such events can be quite effective:
“Organising on-site hiring events that bring in pre-qualified talent to let them see your facility and meet their potential co-workers rather than driving them to apply on a website is a good way to get ahead of the competition and get candidates in the door — literally.” (Challenger, vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.)
Today’s workforce is diverse, and potential candidates look for opportunities to work on their own terms.
“Whether it’s millennials looking for flexible schedules or retired baby boomers looking to stay sharp and earn extra income, the in-demand economy provides flexible options to those who want to work.” (Katie Evans-Reber, Wonolo’s head of people.)
Decide which qualifications, skills and experiences to prioritise
In making season hires, decide which qualifications, skills and experience your team will prioritise.
“Seasonal workers generally need to be dependable, flexible and punctual, for example. They also need to be able to learn a lot of information quickly and work in a team. Employers should pose questions, such as ‘Discuss a time your team work benefited another colleague’ or ‘Was there a time when your presence was needed even though it was difficult or inconvenient for you to be there?’ to gauge whether a candidate has these attributes.” (Challenger.)
“Some may need to be prepared for heavy lifting and manual work, while others may be working day-to-day with customers. For customer-facing roles, it is always beneficial to understand candidates’ personal experiences with the brand. Let them share their story.” (Summers.)
“Recruiters and hiring managers may want to focus on soft skills.” (Evans-Reber.)
“Unless a job requires specific expertise, it’s often more useful to focus on what Wonolo calls “the five Ps:” professional, punctual, polite, position and prepared. A focus on these soft skills is often more indicative of how workers will perform, rather than their job history.” (Wonolo.)
Source
What to expect from the 2019 holiday hiring season
HR Dive