Holiday Cheer
You may be wondering how one can even think about Christmas when fall has just arrived. But that’s exactly what you must do if you want to make this season a profitable one for your business.
Economic signs are indicating a tough season ahead for those who rely on the holidays to turn their bottom line from red to black. In this economy, employers are going to check their list twice before finalizing their hiring budgets. Most likely this will mean less hires. I recommend the following to optimize the performance of this year’s seasonal team:
Redesign the way work gets done in your organization-In year’s past you might have had the liberty of having a few extra hands on deck. Most likely this won’t be the case this year. Examine the job descriptions that you’ve typically been using and make adjustments to ensure what you are handing to prospective employees accurately reflects this year’s job.
Shop early-If you are hiring less people, then you will need to make sure each new hire is willing and able to take on more than what is normally required. Seek candidates that are self-starters. These people usually start knocking on doors right about now. Grab hold of these candidates before your competitors do. Shopping early will also enable you to quickly recover should you need to replace candidates that aren’t working out.
Invest in training-Treat seasonal hires as you would your regular hires and provide them with the tools and training they will need to be great ambassadors for your company. Assign more experienced personnel to those who are newly hired so that new employees are swiftly assimilated into your firm.
Hire mature workers-Forget about what you may have heard about mature workers. Many have more stamina than their younger counterparts and won’t have problems working late or coming in early. They are also more computer savvy than you may think. Take advantage of their knowledge and be open to their suggestions, as most have much to offer.
Sweeten the pot-Set aside some money to pay out holiday bonuses to all that help the company exceed this year’s holiday forecast. It may cost you a bit more now, but in the end you’ll have a workforce that will delight customers, who will return all year long.
Roberta
If you are interested in significantly reducing poor hiring decisions and time wasted on candidates who aren’t the right fit then be sure to check out my Selecting For Success Guide to Hiring Top Talent.
