By Evan Vitale
Based on the type of business you own and operate, you may find yourself in need of seasonal help for the upcoming holidays.
Hiring temp help can be a burden and a chore, especially if you have a small company and if you are the lone wolf in interviewing; hiring; training, etc.
However, the alternative could be worse. You definitely don’t want to be short on help during the holiday rush and have customers frustrated at a time when they are willing to buy from your business.
Here are some considerations when it comes to hiring temp help for the seasons:
- If you are short on time needed to interview potential candidates, give serious consideration to using a temp agency. Yes, there is a fee involved, but temp agencies do all the dirty work and send you pre-qualified candidates that you can quickly interview. All the hiring (and firing) is done through your representative at the temp agency. You pay a flat fee to the agency, who then pays the employee. The agency is also responsible for taxes etc. This can save you a ton of time.
- If you want to hire the temp employee(s) yourself, start now by placing a sign in your window and placing some small ads for seasonal help. Have candidates fill out an application and, if you have time, interview them on the spot rather than having them come back at a different time. In addition, you might be able to hire them immediately which not only saves time, but gives you the opportunity to hire a good candidate before they find a different job.
- The earlier you hire someone, the better. This gives you time to properly train your new employee before the holiday rush begins. It will be nearly impossible to train new employees during Black Friday, for instance.
- Plan for the unexpected and never find yourself short on help. Employees might quit; call in sick; have travel problems due to bad weather, etc. Be prepared for unexpected employee “issues.”
Don’t delay. There are plenty of good candidates who are looking for seasonal jobs. Find the best one for your business now.