Summer is just around the corner and with it comes a hectic period for many businesses around the UK. For those of us preparing for a spike in activity, the ability to hire high-quality staff at a moment’s notice can be challenging. Unfortunately, dealing with unpredictable seasonal fluctuations often results in a rushed recruitment process, where mistakes are made and the wrong workers are hired. It’s a common issue that can hurt team morale, worker retention, revenue and even business reputation.
For front-line staff, where customer service is crucial to the business, the right or wrong candidate can make all the difference, especially during a busy period. Here are some top tips to attract the ideal candidate and better manage this year’s seasonal staff fluctuations.
Understand your company’s key selling points
Understanding the appeal of your business is essential when it comes to intriguing and coercing customers, but in many ways, it’s equally important to have key selling points to potential employees. As temporary staff come and go, the ability to provide long-term benefits often seen in full-time employees won’t be as valued. Therefore, it’s best to understand what it is you can offer (aside from a job) that might interest the ideal candidate. Whether it's highlighting the friendly colleagues, higher pay, social workplace, extra tips, exciting location, or any bonuses/perks that might apply to being a dedicated worker, the smallest of selling points can go a long way to getting the best staff this summer.
A recent study from Personal Group found 35% of employees said they would be happier if they had more recognition in the workplace
Target staff that suit your business, not your target market.
This might seem obvious to many businesses - we often see trendy millennials working in trendy bars around east London. However, there’s more to it than that. Finding like-minded people that genuinely suit your business – not your target market – could play a huge role in having a successful summer period. Hiring a 20-something-year-old student who has one year of barista experience doesn’t guarantee that they’ll suit your business – even if 90% of your customers are 20-something-year-old students.
It might turn out that you have more success hiring 30-40-year olds with varied experience, even if your target market is a younger generation. Therefore, it’s worth understanding what you need from a candidate on a deeper level and in doing so, linking it to your search.
According to reports, 86% of employees cite a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures
Communication is the key.
Strong communication within a business setting cannot be underestimated. Yet, it’s often the type of connection that can make or break a relationship and the ability to retain and attract the best candidates in busy periods. When searching for and managing new staff this summer, effective, two-way communication will make all the difference.
According to reports, 86% of employees cite a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures. It’s a statistic that should frighten even the most casual of workplaces. If workers don’t understand your needs and you don’t understand theirs, then the relationship will face rocky roads, and you might even find yourself searching for a replacement in the middle of peak season.
Keep up strong two-way communication by engraining open conversation into company culture – it will encourage the summer arrivals to share their opinions and bond with their colleagues. On top of this, it will also ensure workers are more productive and aware of their tasks and responsibilities, which will be fundamental to a successful summer period.
Provide feedback and support.
We all know that constructive criticism is healthy. However, many managers fail to understand the importance of feedback in today’s modern-day workplace. A recent study from Personal Group found 35% of employees said they would be happier if they had more recognition in the workplace. This is why feedback is so valuable. Feeling appreciated, while also voicing their feedback is vital to workers – especially for those just arriving this summer. Two-way feedback links into support, which will, in turn, the culture of the business and how staff approach their work.
Whether it’s through weekly team meetings, one-to-one interviews or encouraging general open conversation, constructive feedback will not only ensure a more productive workplace over the busy summer period, it will also improve team morale, worker retention and business reputation.
When coming into the busy period this summer, the best way to manage your recruitment strategy is to first look at what you can provide as a workplace.
Understanding your key selling points for a potential employee and what you want in an employee, who will be reflecting your business, should undoubtedly be followed up by strong communication and feedback. This way, you can tweak your needs and approach to hiring in the future, while ensuring your busy summer isn’t full of unenthused, unmotivated staff.
Worried about the rush of hiring staff this summer? The GIG app streamlines the recruitment process to help you find high-quality temp on-demand. Get in touch with sales@gigtogig.co.uk to find out more.