Summer staffing: an employer’s guide to smooth seasonal hiring

For many of us, summer represents a highlight in the yearly calendar, a time for beaches, vacations, and if we’re lucky— months of decent weather.

But for hiring managers and employers, summer is often the height of busyness. Challenges range from a slump in available talent, leaps in vacation requests, a spike in demand in seasonal industries, and a distracted, more unproductive workforce…

So, what steps can you take to ensure your business sails smoothly through the summer waters?

Ride the seasonal wave by hiring seasonal workers

Seasonal employees offer your business a valuable lifeline to boost your flexibility. While seasonal work isn’t right for every business, opting for seasonal workers helps keep your business fully staffed and productive during peak times for your team.

But before you look to hiring seasonal staff as your solution, it’s important to get the right advice. Many employers fail to master the basics with seasonal talent. They fumble on employment contracts, provide inadequate health & safety instructions, and drive straight into avoidable legal potholes that send candidates packing to the competition.

Don’t be that boss, do your homework and get the right employment advice for hiring seasonal workers. From contracts, working hours, to pay it’s important to get it right.

Make sure your current processes are watertight before adding new temporary staff

New hires may be part of the solution, but what about your existing staff? How do you navigate the unique challenges that come with managing your team in the busy summer period?

The summer months are challenging for employers in many ways. For example, workers take more vacation, often during the busiest periods. Not to mention, employees in the office are often more distracted with summer sporting events—and that’s if they’re not calling in sick to go watch the game!

Even if new hires are taken on, it can be a nightmare managing the additional training and supervision among the heightened demands of summer combined with many employees simply missing in action.

So, besides seasonal hiring, what else can you do to improve team management in summer?

Get your HR operations summer-ready and beat the heat!

Well, thankfully, there are lots of ways to help beat the heat of summertime disruption in your business.

Getting on top of your staff vacation planning with a staff vacation planner lets you calculate staff vacation automatically, saving time and helping flag vacation clashes. No more wasting time trying to fill shifts during your busiest periods!

Shift and schedule planners are efficient ways to manage staff shifts, track attendance, and fill open shifts quickly when staff are suspiciously AWOL on game days or during festivals…

Health & safety software can help you stay on top of your training responsibilities during busy hiring periods. With easy on-the-go health & safety training, you can be sure any summer hires are prepped and ready to get to work, taking the stress out of the induction process and promoting a safe workplace.

Getting the right employment advice and contract support can make sure any additional hires during the summer months are inducted without any legal hiccups, protecting your business and saving time and money.

Need support with your summer staff management?

If you’re looking for ways to help your business out during the busy periods, check out BrightHR. Get expert support 24/7, and access a huge library of resources, apps, and automated features to keep the HR heat off your business, letting you focus on captaining your ship through the challenging summer season.

Speak to one of our specialists today on 1 888 220 4924.