How to Hire the Best Workers for Winter Seasonal Jobs

It happens every year: Many businesses don’t realize their busy winter season is coming up until it is only a week or two away. They panic, trying to fill a number of temporary positions to meet their increase in demand. However, because they waited till the last minute, many qualified temporary workers already have jobs lined up and are not available. As a result, the business isn’t able to fulfill their quotas or meet production targets because they don’t have enough people on board.



Want to avoid this scenario? At Noble Human Resources Solutions, we focus on helping warehouse and factory organizations get the temporary staff they need for their busy seasons. Follow these strategies to fill your open positions, meet your production quotas, and ride the busy season out with ease.

Clarify your seasonal job description

First thing’s first: write out the job descriptions for the positions you’re looking to fill for the busy holiday season. Clarify details such as:

• The job title
• The start and end date for the temporary position
• The part-time or full-time hours for the position
• The location of the job
• The duties and responsibilities of the job
• The experience, education, or certification you’re looking for in an ideal candidate
• The hourly rate you’re offering, in addition to any bonuses or benefits

Having a clear and focused job description is important for both your factory or warehouse and the potential candidates. When you provide this information up front, candidates can determine whether they are meet your requirements before applying. If you don’t have a detailed job description available, you may receive a lot of applications from unsuitable candidates, wasting both your time and theirs.

Start looking for workers early

What time of year should you hire? Many factories and warehouses have an uptick in demand in November and December as a result of the Christmas holidays. For some businesses, the busy season is slightly earlier, in September and October. Regardless of when your demand increases, it’s wise to start looking for more temporary employees a month or two before you actually need them. That way you have plenty of time for the job search, interview, and hiring period.

If you wait too long, you may not have a big pool of qualified candidates to choose from. Hiring workers who are not right for your business can have adverse affects: The employees may not have the skills or experience you need to achieve your production requirements, and you may end up losing revenue as a result. Remember, the early bird gets the worm!

Partner with a staffing agency

Many warehouses and factories in the Mississauga, Brampton, Peel, and GTA regions post job openings for seasonal positions on online job boards. While this can be an effective way to reach suitable candidates, a more effective way is to partner with a staffing agency to get access to highly qualified workers looking for short-term work.

Noble Human Resources Solutions is a staffing agency that works with businesses in the factory, manufacturing, and warehouse sectors to provide candidates for short- and long-term work. Whether you’re looking to hire employees for the Christmas season or for a permanent role, we can help. (You can also count on us if you left the candidate search for too long and need someone to come in right away!)

Contact your previous employees

If you frequently hire seasonal employees, consider reaching back out to previous workers to see if they are interested in coming back for the next season. Many seasonal workers appreciate being able to work at a company where they have previous experience. This also benefits your factory or warehouse because you don’t need to re-train or re-onboard the previous employees, enabling them to hit the floor right away.

You can also prepare for the next busy season during your current seasonal hire. Ask temporary workers before they finish their work term if they would like to come back in the spring, summer, or winter months when you have your next increase in demand. If you have enough temporary employees lined up, approaching your peak seasons will seem like a breeze because you don’t have to constantly rehire for them.

Ask for referrals

Your part-time and full-time employees may have referrals for your temporary staff. Let your existing team know that you are looking to hire temporary seasonal staff to cover your busy period and ask if they know any friends, family, or acquaintances that may be looking for more work. The people your employees refer to you come with a vote of confidence from them, making it easier for you to interview and hire them.

You can encourage employees to refer people for temporary seasonal jobs by creating a referral program. For example, for every successful referral hire, you could give the employee a $100 referral fee. You could also offer other prizes for a successful referral, such as a paid day off or a gift card to a grocery store.

Winter is coming. Are you staffed for the busy season?

Christmas will be here before you know it – which means you are going to experience a big increase in demand. Do you have enough temporary staff to meet your quotas? Get in touch with Noble Human Resources Solutions today. All you have to do is fill out the Employer Contact Form and tell us how many seasonal workers you’re looking for. We’ll review your requirements and connect you with qualified temporary workers from our candidate database.

Finding seasonal and temporary workers for your busy season is no easy task. If you don’t have time to find employees but have a major increase in demand coming up at your factory or warehouse, get in touch with us today.