The 5 Typical Seasonal Hiring Errors and How to Avoid Them

As an employer, hiring seasonal workers can be a significant way to meet the changing demands of your business. Businesses hire these employees during specific times of the year when your business will likely experience increased demand for its products or services. It can also help you manage your workload, reduce employee burnout, and ensure customer satisfaction. 

However, the hiring process for seasonal workers can be prone to mistakes, even for seasoned employers. These mistakes can lead to expensive issues like high turnover rates, poor performance, and legal complications. Fortunately, it’s never too late to right the wrongs and recruit the best workers for your company. 

If you’re ready to hire the best personnel during a specific time of the year, this article will enumerate the common hiring mistakes and how to avoid them.

Error 1: Hiring Solely for Seasonality

When hiring seasonal workers, you must consider their potential long-term benefits and ability to contribute positively to your workforce. Some seasonal employees may be willing to return in subsequent years, eventually making them valuable assets.

You can avoid hiring seasonal workers repeatedly by assessing their long-term goals and compatibility with your company. If they show potential for a permanent role, be open. Also, establish a streamlined process for annual recruits to recruit them each year efficiently.

Using the same hiring process for short-term and long-term workers is inefficient. Seasonal workers require a different sourcing, screening, and onboarding approach. You can recruit based on your immediate needs by developing a specific hiring plan for short-term workers.

You can avoid missing out on potential applicants by ensuring your job posting is easily accessible and tailored to your ideal candidates’ needs and preferences. For example, if your ideal candidates are college students, provide a mobile-friendly application process with a few steps.

During a busy season, it’s easy to overlook what your business needs from seasonal workers. Training and onboarding take time, so you must have realistic expectations.

You can avoid negative impacts on your budget and current team by asking yourself how hiring seasonal workers fits into your budget and how it will affect your yearly revenue and spending. Conduct a needs assessment to determine who and how many people you need, and consider hiring support staff to complement existing processes. That way, your full-time staff can take the lead while feeling supported by the seasonal workers.

The timelines for hiring seasonal workers can vary across different industries. However, beginning the hiring process earlier than expected is always a good idea. Many companies, including restaurants, are in urgent need of seasonal employees. 

You can prevent the need for seasonal hiring only during peak seasons by making it a continuous process throughout the year. Using a hiring platform that allows quick and mobile applications, including features like text-to-apply and automation, you can ensure a constant flow of potential candidates without requiring manual effort.

As we previously mentioned, you can adopt a different approach to your hiring strategy by aiming to retain seasonal workers as permanent staff members in the long run.

You can prevent investing in long-term hires by adjusting your hiring criteria. Focus on sourcing candidates specifically interested in short-term or contract positions but also have the potential to continue working with you after the contract period concludes. While screening and interviewing candidates, discuss their career aspirations and evaluate if offering them a permanent position is possible.

Hiring seasonal workers can help reduce the workload on your current employees during peak season, but that only works when you recruit them properly. You can avoid expensive mistakes and stay efficient by considering your business’s needs, being ahead of the trend, and using automation. 

If you’re looking for seasonal jobs in Alaska with housing, check out VagaJobs! We created this platform to help seasonal workers find the perfect position at the best time. Find your dream job with us now!