5 Questions to Ask Potential Seasonal Employees

’Tis the season of seasonal employment. Small business all across the country soon begin hiring for the annual end-of-the-year rush, as nearly every industry, from B2B vendors to retailers to cross-country truckers, tend to get more business around the end of the year. And, of course, they’ll need the manpower to handle these new customers. According to Challenger, Gray, and Christmas Inc., 800,000 jobs could be added to retail alone this holiday season – the highest amount since 1999. Hiring seasonal employees is fairly similar to hiring anyone else, and you can normally use your usual set of interview questions. However, there are some particular questions you should ask before hiring a seasonal worker.

1. Are there any gaps in your resumé?

First off, it is completely reasonable for a potential seasonal hire to have a few gaps in their resumé. A lot of seasonal workers look for jobs cyclically, usually to try and make extra money around the holidays. If they have a history of seasonal work, they may be a great choice because of their experience in a fast-paced, temporary position. But seasonal employees need to be reliable, or you’ll be stuck with inadequate staffing. Ask them to explain gaps, and then decide if they seem reliable.

2. Can you learn quickly?

Basic industry experience is useful, but every company is different, and seasonal employees are only around for a few months. You just don’t have the time to train them for that long, so they need to be able to learn quickly. Run through the basics of their job, or put them through a training sequence, and see how well they do recalling information. Seasonal work usually isn’t too difficult, but employees have to demonstrate a basic understanding of how the job is done, or they’ll flounder when work picks up.

3. How flexible are your hours?

This question is extremely important because seasonal work ebbs and flows. There may only be a couple of extra hours to go around when fall first hits, but once we hit the home-stretch in mid-November, everything picks up. Seasonal work is usually a no-strings attached arrangement, but both you and any potential employees still need to set reasonable expectations for hours. If they expect a three-month-long, 9-to-5 position and that’s not what you’re offering, you need to make that clear. Otherwise they’ll walk and you’ll be short-staffed.

4. Would you take a full-time position if offered?

Seasonal employment may not always lead to full-time work, nor should it, but some of my best full-time hires have been out of the seasonal pool. When you ask this question, make it clear that you’re not looking for any permanent employees at the moment, but see who says they’d stick around, and keep a list. If one or two of your seasonal hires absolutely blows you away, consider bringing them on full-time.

5. Same time, next year?

Now, amazing work doesn’t guarantee a permanent job. In fact, some of your best seasonal hires may only want to work seasonally. If that is the case, ask them to come back next year. You’ll know they do good work, you won’t have to train them and, if they know a job is waiting, they’ll seek you out. There is nothing wrong with having a roster of regular seasonal employees.