5 tips to take the strain out of seasonal hiring

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It’s as important to be strategic in your seasonal hires as it is when choosing full-time employees. Whether you need people to wait tables, pick guests up from the airport or stand in for employees on holiday, we have five tips to help.

1. Be strategic

The two biggest times of the year for seasonal hiring are summer and winter. Most employers start advertising open positions at least one to three months in advance. Seasonal hiring should be a part of your annual strategic planning. These discussions should involve your accounting, marketing, legal, payroll and executive teams so they can help develop a recruitment strategy and assess what your hiring needs are for each season.

2. Connect with local universities

Local tertiary education institutions are a great place to find seasonal talent. Students are often keen to earn extra money and get work experience on their CVs. Depending on the requirement, other sources could include freelancers on websites like Upwork and Fiverr. There are also recruitment agencies that are good at finding seasonal workers.

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3. Use online resources to share your openings

Use resources like Twitter, Facebook Jobs, and LinkedIn to find great seasonal talent.

4. Consult your legal and HR team about compliance

Ensure you remain compliant with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Employees who work with you for more than three months are usually deemed full-time. However, this requirement is waived if you can satisfactorily prove that the work is seasonal in nature.

Consult with your legal and human resources teams to determine the benefits you need to provide to your seasonal employees. UIF, for example, is mandatory for all workers in the formal and informal sectors who work more than 24 hours per month.

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5. Host orientations and training workshops

An excellent way to motivate seasonal employees and make them feel like they are a part of a larger team is to host orientations and training for all new hires. Educate them on the company mission, policies, and procedures; introduce stakeholders within the organisation and encourage seasonal employees to ask questions.

In addition to the orientation, offer ongoing training to all seasonal employees during their employment. Training will ensure they are skilled in all the software programs, security and safety measures, and tasks they must perform during their employment contract period.