How to Hire Seasonal Workers

With the unemployment rate remaining low throughout the country, small business owners continue to grapple with the labor shortage, making it especially difficult to find and hire employees. And if your business experiences seasonal ebbs and flows, attracting employees interested in temporary or seasonal work is even more challenging.

But finding seasonal workers is not impossible. To get insights and advice about seasonal hiring, I talked to Natalie Dopp, chief people officer at HireVue, a hiring technology company.

How to hire seasonal workers

Rieva Lesonsky: Let’s start with making the hiring process easier. How can small business owners use technology to hire seasonal talent?

Natalie Dopp: Many seasonal jobs aren’t “normal,” meaning they may not be simply labeled as “cashier” or “marketing manager.” Some roles may be titled “crew member” or “warehouse stocker,” so candidates may need help determining how to search for them.

Using chatbots on your jobs page can help candidates search for jobs based on their skills—it can give them access to all the roles available at your company. A smart chatbot can search based on the skills needed for a position, so the burden of responsibility is no longer on candidates to make sure they are searching for the “right” specific job title.

Chatbots shouldn’t frustrate job seekers. They should be able to have human-like conversations and have natural language processing (NLP) capability. Job candidates shouldn’t have to input specific language to get a potential match or effective response.

Lesonsky: What should you look for in seasonal talent?

Dopp: When looking to hire for a season, you can’t waste time wondering if you made the right hire, but you can’t just hope for the best. Consider candidates who show potential. Look for transferable skills instead of relying on candidates with specific experience or skills.

There is potential in every candidate. Assessments are a great way to find that potential and pinpoint the skills that better predict success, not factors like alma maters or experience. Our 2023 Global Trends Report found that 58% of companies implemented standardized assessments in the past year, and 32% implemented game-based assessments.

And when time is of the essence, your hiring experience needs to be fast and engaging so you can start making offers before your shifts get busy.

Lesonsky: Hiring seasonally can be stressful. When should small business owners start the hiring process for summer jobs or the holidays?

Dopp: The most successful campaigns are those that are planned all year round. For summer hiring, we see a significant ramp-up happen in interviews from April to June. And holiday hiring starts to pick up speed in September and October. Continuous outreach and ongoing communication have proven to be the most effective means to have a deep candidate pool for hiring during peak seasons such as the holidays.

Lesonsky: Should companies utilize interns to fill seasonal positions?

Dopp: Interns can be a great way to fill seasonal positions. In many cases, it pays to start working with college students long before they graduate. A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that over half of all eligible interns become full-time employees with their internship provider. Furthermore, 85% of surveyed employers say internships are the most effective way to recruit students.

Offering internships is effective because it lets students get an idea of what it is like to work for your business. The interns make strong connections with coworkers and become invested in your company. This makes them more likely to accept a job offer from you after they graduate. Internships are also an easy way to make students aware of your company. Since so many students compete for internships during college, any company that offers this valuable program is a company they’ll remember.

Lesonsky: Is it possible to keep seasonal workers engaged between seasons?

Dopp: One of the advantages of creating seasonal hiring teams is that it gives you access to a qualified candidate base year-round. Who knows your business and the ins and outs of operations more than your previous employees?

Engaging with candidates via text is not only their preferred method, but it’s also a lot more effective. Keep previous employees in the loop on hiring needs and business updates throughout the year. This helps you establish relationships with people beyond just last-minute hiring needs.

Don’t start each hiring season with a blank slate. Engage your previous employees and start filling your shifts fast with the qualified talent you trust.