Hiring Seasonal Employees: 3 Strategies for Business Owners

The time leading up to the holidays is stressful for retailers. With the season accounting for about 27 percent of total retail sales — and more than a third in some categories — providing an experience that keeps customers online, in stores and spending can make or break a retailer’s profitability for the entire year.

Seasonal workers are critical to handling the surge in business, but hiring the right people in volume on a tight timeframe can be a challenge. Although retailers anticipate needing fewer seasonal workers this holiday season, they still expect to add 410,000 seasonal positions, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

With quit rates hovering around 2.6 percent, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, retailers are constantly hiring. No-show rates are also an issue, as the absence rate of employees in 2022 was reported as 3.6 percent. The key to bringing the best candidates on board is to make the process fast, efficient and transparent. The latest artificial intelligence-driven technology can help. Here are three proven success strategies:

1. Invest in innovative technology for candidate screening.

Nearly one-quarter of the retail workers surveyed by Checkr earlier this year said they're discouraged by the three weeks to six weeks the average hiring process takes. Just over half said they believe their applications aren’t seen by hiring managers. Technology can address both problems.

AI resume screening software can sift through applications rapidly and identify the most suitable candidates based on pre-defined parameters such as experience, skills and availability. Some incorporate personality assessments and predictive analytics to forecast which candidates are likely to thrive in a fast-paced, temporary role.

This technology can drastically reduce the time hiring managers and HR departments spend sorting through resumes, allowing them to spend more time interacting with potential hires. However, be aware of their limitations. Resume screeners can overlook nontraditional candidates whose resumes lack the necessary keywords but whose experience and personalities are a good fit for a job. Screeners are also susceptible to keyword gaming and bias. Careful keyword selection is a must. It’s also a good idea to manually scan a selection of rejected resumes to be sure the keywords are appropriate and those diamonds in the rough aren’t overlooked.

One of the most time-consuming elements of the hiring process is background checks. It’s a laborious process for human operators that can take weeks to perform. Automated background checkers can reduce that time to less than five days without sacrificing quality. You can also employ large language models (LLMs) to generate personalized responses and follow-up messages to job-seekers, letting them know their applications have been received and are being considered.

A recent survey by human capital management firm Fourth found that 40 percent of retail leaders said HR automation technology is integral to their growth. Combining these technologies can dramatically reduce decision times and the risk of candidates losing interest in a position.

2. Establish clear criteria.

The list of responsibilities found in many job descriptions would lead you to believe that no one short of Albert Einstein would qualify. Managers are often tempted to pack job listings with every task they can imagine in hopes that it will attract the best candidates. In reality, the opposite happens. Overly ambitious job descriptions can repel candidates who believe they don’t measure up or think the pay is inadequate for the duties described. Vague qualifications also contribute to turnover when candidates discover the job they accepted isn’t the one that was advertised.

When drafting job postings, take the time to interview people who already are doing the work and find out how they spend their day. Ask what motivates and satisfies them. The job listing should delineate not only the technical skills required, but also soft skills like patience and the ability to negotiate. Avoid vague terms like “results-oriented” and “motivated.” Assume those qualities apply to anyone who wants the job.

3. Develop rapid onboarding processes.

Once suitable candidates are identified, act quickly to ensure you don’t lose them to another employer and that they can be productive within the limited timeframe of the seasonal rush. Onboarding for seasonal workers should be an abridged version of the standard process, especially for those who have a prior history working for the company, focusing on critical components such as company policies, job duties, safety protocols, and team introductions. Develop standardized training practices that can be applied to groups of new hires or captured online in videos and structured tutorials. Paperwork should be processed in parallel as much as possible, and any required equipment be readily available.

Digital onboarding platforms can facilitate this process, providing new hires with online modules that can be completed before their start date. This use of technology ensures that when employees step into their roles, they're prepared to hit the ground running.

Meeting customer demand for the busy shopping season shouldn’t mean sacrificing staff quality. Although seasonal workers are with a retailer for only a short period, they're critical to ensuring a good customer experience. The best ones can become full-time employees and contribute to the success of the business in the long term.

Kristen Faris is the senior vice president of customer success, solutions and partnerships at Checkr, a platform that uses AI to make background screening more efficient, speed up the hiring process, fill roles faster, and drive more revenue.