5 Smart Tips to Hiring Seasonal Employees

If you need extra help this summer, you need to find it fast – before the season starts to wind to a close. But just because you may be in a rush to find another pair of hands, it doesn’t mean you must settle for a less-than-stellar employee. To help you attract great talent in a limited period of time, FOXBusiness.com asked HR experts for their five best tips for hiring seasonal staffers.No. 1: Leverage your reputation. Steve Kane, the owner of HR consulting firm Kane Partners, says getting great employees is all about making the most of your company’s reputation. “You need a positive reputation, so that potential employees themselves know that if they went to work for you, they would have a great experience, and they would be lucky to get that opportunity,” says Kane. Reach out to sources that have connected you with great staffers in the past, be it university career services in your area, or a temp agency that you’ve used in earlier years. Another tip? Reach out to some of your best employees, who think highly of the company, and get them to spread the word. No. 2: Define what you’re looking for. The Restaurant HR Group’s Carrie Luxem says the best potential employees may be looking for something a little more permanent than just a summer gig. “Fully understand what your needs are,” says Luxem. “Is it truly seasonal, or could it potentially transition to long-term?” No. 3: Diversify your search methods. Luxem says casting a wide net will ensure you find experienced applicants. “If you’re creative with your ads, a lot can be done through social media sites, as well as LinkedIn,” she says. She adds that her clients have had great experiences using Craigslist, as long as the ads were specific, straightforward and appealing. “Oftentimes, people put the bare minimum [on job postings], but you need to entice them and make them realize why they would want to work for you,” she explains. “I’m also a huge fan of organizing hiring events and job fairs, where candidates come in to meet with hiring managers,” says Luxem. No. 4: Turn managers into mentors. Kane says one way to turn a summer gig into a meaningful experience for workers – especially those who are in college – is to formalize the experience and give frequent feedback. “You need to be able to coach them, because they want to know how they’re doing and what they could improve,” says Kane. He says explaining this mentorship aspect to prospective employees is a great way to find employees who really want to go above and beyond – even if it’s just for the summer.No. 5: Consider an end-of-summer bonus or incentive. Luxem says seasonal workers often expect more money, since there’s no job security at the end of the summer. One way to make sure employees stay motivated throughout the season is to be upfront about bonuses or deferred compensation. Kane says another way to attract and retain great staffers is to offer them positions at the end of the summer for the next season – and make it clear that this is a possibility from the get-go. “There’s nothing like an employer expressing confidence in an employee,” says Kane.