Boosting Workers’ Hours May Be Solution to Holiday Hiring Woes

Ready or not, here it comes.

With the holidays just around the corner, employers have geared up for the Christmas rush. This year, retailers are expected to hire approximately 650,000 seasonal workers. That number’s up 10 percent from 2017, say stats from the National Retail Federation.

With low unemployment rates, hiring holiday workers can get tricky. How do employers find great hires when not as many workers are available?

Here’s the good news: employers have plenty of options.

Typically, raising wages helps attract solid candidates, say experts. According to a national survey by Snag, retailers plan to boost pay more than 50 percent over last year. Big box retailers have indicated they’ll be boosting minimum wage, as well as adding various holiday incentives. But those aren’t the only options. Other creative ways include paid time off, paid training, transportation, and more.

But is holiday hiring still a hurdle? Here’s another idea.

Increasing hours for current part-time workers may be another good option for some companies, especially smaller businesses. In fact, some stats indicate this may be the trend for many businesses this year.

While the Bureau of Labor Management says there may not be a lot of room for growth in the part-time labor market, other surveys are more hopeful. Earlier this year,11,000 retail and restaurant workers working under 30 hours a week were asked if they’d take more hours; 64 percent said they would. A similar study in Philadelphia found 74 percent working under 30 hours said they’d take more hours if offered.

Boosting hours of current part-time employees could help your company hit the ground running this holiday. But the real key to holiday hiring is finding that unique formula that works for you. Whatever your hiring strategy, don’t skimp on screening. Keep your holidays on the right track with help from a professional screening partner.

Contact us today to get started!

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