While consumers are gearing up for the holiday rush, companies go into high gear hiring a flurry of seasonal employees.
It’s easy to take shortcuts during the seasonal hiring process, but that rush-rush mindset can cause bigger headaches and financial setbacks later. Follow these important reminders to get the most from short-term employees.
How to hire and train great seasonal employees
- Understand the laws. Whether it’s your first experience hiring seasonal employees or not, review the guidelines set by the Department of Labor and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) governs temporary employees. Make sure supervisors provide breaks and overtime pay as required by national and state regulations.
- Communicate job requirements. Misunderstanding the actual job responsibilities is the main reason seasonal employees quit abruptly. Communicate expectations clearly and fully in the interview and provide a clear end date. Don’t promise full-time employment – offers can always be extended later.
- Perform background checks. Even if you don’t plan to retain seasonal employees, it’s still important to run pre-employment screening. Failure to do so can put your bottom line and inventory at risk, and increase the chances of negligent hiring lawsuits.
- Present mentorship opportunities. Help your new employees learn the ropes quicker and feel integrated into the company culture sooner. Instead of just telling them, show them how to do tasks, monitor their progress and provide additional guidance, as needed.
Signet Screening is ready to help hiring managers with seasonal crunch time, according to President Matt Messersmith.
“We understand the need for fast, accurate background checks,” he says. “With our technology, expertise and superior customer service, we deliver the information companies need when they need it for better hiring decisions.”
For more information
Signet Screening works closely with companies to develop a screening and hiring process that best suits their business needs. For more information about our background check process for full-time and seasonal employees, please contact us.
