Tap Local Talent for Seasonal Hiring

Tap Local Talent for Seasonal Hiring Tap Local Talent for Seasonal Hiring Tap Local Talent for Seasonal Hiring Matuson Seasonal hiringis moving into full gear, as companies turn their attention to finding employees for the busy holiday season. In the past, you simply hung a help wanted sign in the window to find contingent workers. If you did that today, chances are youd be overwhelmed with the number of people knocking on your door due to the abundance of available workers. A more focused approach to hiring locally will yield better candidates without overtaxing your business and ensure that youre properly staffed and rested before the holiday rush. The following tips will help to ensure you secure your share of contingent workers this holiday hiring season. Local newspapers In spite of what you may have read, local newspapers are still alive and are an excellent source to find local talent. Many job seekers still turn to the newspaper when looking for work. Local talent is still picking up the help wanted section and looking through it on weekends, notes Jeff Graham, marketing director at Monster. Many papers will offer the full suite of recruitment products to any of their customers. This includes online job postings, resume access, Media Solutionsand banner ads. This kind of exposure can make a huge difference when you are trying to rapidly pull in the people you need to fill seasonal jobs. Neighborhood schools and universities Local schools are a terrific source to hire for holiday jobs, particularly colleges and universities with a large number of commuter students. These students live close by and are usually eager to earn funds to help defray the costs associated with attending college. Call the placement office and ask how you can notify students that you are hiring. Keep in mind that if you hire someone in his or her freshman year, you may have a fully trained employee return season after season until graduation. Senior Centers They say sixty is the new fifty, so why not dive into the pool of mature candidates this hiring season and recruit a deeper talent pool. The result means youll find candidates who are looking to put their skills to work on a temporary basis. Hiring mature workers has many benefits including a staff that typically needs less direction and has a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed in business. Stop by and post your openings at the local senior center. Make the application process simple. Leave applications at the center so candidates can apply the old fashioned way in person, if this approach better fits their style. Neighborhood friends If you havent done so recently, check out the neighborhood to see who is now of working age and might be looking for a local job. In case you havent noticed, your neighbors kids who used to babysit for you or cut your lawn are now old enough to work in a store or in your business. Call your neighbor and ask them to have their son or daughter get in touch with you if they are interested in working this holiday season. And while you are on the phone, dont forget to ask them if they know of anyone else who might be seeking a job for the holiday season. Religious institutions Religious institutions help to fortify and sustain communities in a variety of ways. They are also a place where people come to gather and gain support from one another. Contact your local priest or rabbi and ask if they know of any members in need of extra money this holiday season. Most will gladly pass along news of a job opportunity to members of their communities. Look internally Ask your current part-time workers or floaters if they are interested in picking up additional hours during the holiday rush. By drawing from a pool of workers who are already familiar with your organization, you will be able to reduce the amount of time needed to fully train people in your operations. Employee referrals The best new hires can emerge from employee referralsfrom current or past workers. Ask your employees who they know that would be a great addition to your business this hiring season. Sweeten the deal by paying an employee referral bonus to anyone who refers an employee who is hired and stays through the holiday season. Contact former contingent workers Search your database or your employee files and put together a list of former seasonal workers who youd gladly rehire. Call those on the list and ask them if they are interested in working again for you as a contingent employee. If need be, provide incentives for returning workers. Moving forward, stay in touch and re-recruit throughout the year so you can more easily fill your job openings next year. Stay top of mind by routinely updating your companys Facebook page and sending out postcards during the year to remind workers you are thinking of them. Pull talent towards you Take a page out of the playbook of larger companies and create an inviting career section on your website that attracts the right candidates to your business. Dont know how? Follow the steps outlined in our recent webinar on Four Steps to a Successful Employment Brand and youll be well on your way. Be sure to post a note regarding your contingent positions on the front page of your website so that job seekers can quickly see that your business is hiring.