If your business gets busier in the summer, chances are you are bringing on seasonal employees to support your increased customer base. Many companies in industries such as retail, food service and hospitality, transportation and construction ramp up hiring during the summer. With an improving job market, hiring for summer seasonal jobs shows no signs of slowing down this year.
Sorting through all those resumes and conducting interviews during the recruiting process can seem like enough work. But once you get through all that, you are left with the responsibility of onboarding the seasonal employees you have hired. Just because they are seasonal employees doesn’t mean they don’t require time and attention to help them feel comfortable and perform their jobs to the best of their ability. Here are some strategies for onboarding seasonal employees:
1) Do as much preparation as possible in the recruiting process
The onboarding process will go much smoother if the seasonal employees you hired already know what to expect. In the job advertisements you post and interviews, make sure you accurately outline all the duties involved in the position. Also, make it clear how long the job will last, an estimate of how many hours per week the employee will be working, and the amount of pay they can expect. Lastly, prepare your current full-time employees for the addition of seasonal staff. Explain to them what these workers will be doing and how they will fit into the organization.
2) Involve Your Full-Time Employees
When onboarding seasonal employees, have your full-time employees help you train them and explain to them the ins and outs of the organization. This will benefit everyone involved: it will save you work, get the seasonal employees up to speed, and will make your full-time staff feel valued since you trust them to acclimate a new worker to your organization. Have seasonal employees shadow full-time staff. Also, ask full time employees to help you put together a document to pass out with hints to help seasonal employees get adjusted to your organization.
3) Create a positive culture and meaningful mission
No matter how long or short the duration of their job will be, it’s important to help seasonal employees feel as motivated as possible since they are representing your organization. Make seasonal employees feel like a part of your company and its culture from the very beginning. Tell your full-time staff to see to it they involve seasonal employees in as company meetings and events as possible.
When onboarding seasonal employees, make it clear to them that your company cares about more than just making money. Explain to them the customer centric principles your organization follows. Also, when onboarding seasonal employees, expose them to as many different departments and aspects of your organization as possible. This will help them gain a better understanding of what they are a part of and what they are working towards.
4) Take Advantage of Technology When Onboarding Seasonal Employees
First, make sure your current human resources software can handle the number of new employees you are taking on. It may be time to upgrade to a better workforce management system. When onboarding seasonal employees, take advantage of technology to help you train and engage them in a quicker and less expensive way. Even before their starting date, you can have them learn about your company through training videos, tutorials and other online resources.
Author: Jessica Cody
Jessica Cody, a native of Fairfield County, Connecticut, has a background in online marketing and public relations. Currently, she works at VHMNetwork LLC in the role of Marketing Analyst. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she studied Journalism and Political Science. She is also an avid runner with a passion for the outdoors.
