Every industry has its own definition of what’s considered the “peak” season. No matter when your peak season occurs, you’ll find the secret to attracting excellent seasonal employees lies in correctly timing your job listings.
The seasonal job market is one of the most competitive. Post your jobs too early and your seasonal workers may not be looking for their seasonal positions yet. Post your jobs too late and the best candidates will have already been snatched up by other businesses looking to hire for their peak seasons.
Seasonal hiring is one of the biggest recurring challenges companies face from year to year. To hire the help you need, you’ve got to understand the seasonal hiring market, including when to start hiring, what to hire for, and who to expect in your list of applicants.
Deciding when to start listing seasonal jobs
Since every business’s peak season may be at a different time, the general rule of thumb is to start listing your seasonal jobs no later than two months prior to the start of your peak season. That way, you have ample amounts of time to recruit, onboard, and train your seasonal workers.
For example, retail stores and restaurants tend to experience their peak season starting shortly after Halloween and continuing through New Year’s Day. These businesses will need to make sure they’ve listed all openings for seasonal jobs by early September at the latest. Any later than this and they risk not having enough qualified candidates and not having enough time to properly prepare their new hires to handle the rush of the busy season.
What types of jobs can be seasonal?
Almost any job can be converted into a full or part-time seasonal position. Think about what departments or areas of operations have the heaviest workloads during this season and could use an extra hand to manage the sudden surge in demand. It may be helpful to review data from last year’s peak season to help you identify gaps that could be filled by a seasonal worker.
Here are some ideas for common areas where seasonal workers are employed:
Warehouse and order fulfillment
Delivery drivers
Advertising and marketing assistants
Sales associates and cashiers
Grounds crew and event staff
Once you know what jobs you need additional workers for most, don’t forget to review your current employment stats. How many employees do you currently have? What roles are they performing? What shifts need to be filled? All of this information will help you find the most strategic and effective ways to place your seasonal workers so they can have the greatest impact on your daily operations.
Posting seasonal listings on OfferUp
Now that you know when to post your listings and what roles you’re looking for seasonal workers to fill, you’re ready to create your listing. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Have a clear job title. Make sure the title clearly communicates what the worker will be doing and that it is a seasonal position.
Be as specific as possible in your job description. Seasonal workers often perform a variety of tasks but try to avoid using vague language whenever possible.
List a few qualifications for applicants. Including a few specific requirements for the position will help filter out unqualified candidates. Analyze the position and come up with three to five general requirements for seasonal workers in the role. For example, someone who will be working in the warehouse may need to be able to lift 30+ pounds.
Highlight perks and pay. Pay is an important factor for many seasonal workers, so be sure to include the specific rate or compensation range for the position. Don’t forget to mention any additional perks seasonal employees may enjoy such as an in-store discount.
Our final tip for successful seasonal recruiting is to be sure to give as much consideration to where you’re posting your job as you did in creating it.
OfferUp is the largest mobile marketplace in the United States with millions of users logging onto our app and website every single day. With OfferUp Jobs, businesses can now use our platform to promote their current listings and reach local candidates. Better yet, you can reach new candidates unavailable anywhere else including on Indeed or Craigslist.
Don’t let the season get away from you. Learn more about why businesses love partnering with OfferUp Jobs and get started promoting your seasonal listings today!