Moving from “Reactive” Seasonal Hiring to “Responsible” Seasonal Hiring
Every year, the race against time begins to hire seasonal employees. In the frenzy, job postings are sometimes published too quickly, interviews are rushed, and contracts get signed in a hurry. Whether you work in tourism, agriculture, hospitality, or events, seasonality brings its own rules, its peaks, and its emergencies.
To make sure everything runs smoothly, several key success factors should be considered: analyzing needs in advance, launching hiring efforts several weeks before the season begins… The goal of respecting a timeline is simple: efficiency. A structured plan helps you handle a large volume of applications, hires, onboarding, and training. This way, new team members complete their learning curve before you reach the peak of your seasonal activity.
What if we started by truly taking the time to analyze?
Every year, at the end of your season, take a moment to sit down and review what worked. Open a simple Word template to guide you through the right questions. Don’t focus solely on numbers. Consider human factors as well. Take note of the positive and negative behaviors you observed and how they affected productivity.
Ask yourself how you could identify these behaviors during interviews next year. Also consider how your recruiters could better detect the behavioral qualities you need. When they speak with candidates, these indicators are essential. Taking this time to analyze each year will save you precious time when the next season comes around.
It is also an excellent opportunity to express appreciation for the best collaborations you experienced during the season. You can send a LinkedIn recommendation, let them know you would be happy to welcome them back the following year, or simply stay connected. By nurturing these relationships, you build a talent pool over time. Seasonal hiring doesn’t begin three months before opening; it truly starts the day the previous season ends.
How do you save time without running everywhere?
But what exactly is a responsible deadline? It is a timeline that puts no one in a state of emergency, because you took the time to ask the people involved what moment works best for them. A bit like a Quentin Tarantino film: from the outside, your plan might seem disorganized, but in the end, it proves incredibly effective.
Use quieter periods to move ahead on important steps. Setting responsible deadlines also means putting yourself in the candidate’s shoes and improving their experience. A seasonal worker does not want a long or complex hiring process. They want a quick, simple, and clear one. Ideally, they should be able to apply in under five minutes, receive an automatic confirmation, hear back from a human within 72 hours, and quickly get a first call explaining the mission and working conditions. Every extra click or delay increases the risk of losing a good candidate.
Planning the unpredictable: what if we prepared for every scenario?
Seasonal hiring faces the same challenges every year: labor shortages, economic surprises, or unexpected weather conditions. Everything can change in a matter of weeks, which is why it is essential to build a strategy based on multiple scenarios.
Imagine an optimistic scenario with strong demand, a realistic scenario based on your previous years, and a pessimistic one in case of major disruptions. This approach allows you to adjust quickly without compromising the quality of your hires.
All your competitors are facing the same difficulties. What will set you apart is your ability to anticipate, your flexibility, and above all, the quality of your collaborations.
Why hiring should always be a team effort ?
To offer the best possible experience, it is essential to create strong bridges between those who understand the needs on the ground and those who handle recruitment. A clear definition of essential criteria, combined with fluid communication between managers and recruiters, is key to success.
Encourage your teams to reflect on the benefits of better collaboration. A manager who uses tools to clarify their needs allows the recruiter to target more precisely. A recruiter who understands the role in detail can speak with passion and accuracy about the experience awaiting future candidates. This collaboration naturally leads to stronger candidate experiences, more relevant interviews, and job postings that resonate by presenting clear expectations, concrete benefits, and real support throughout the hiring and onboarding process.
Take the time, when writing your postings, to tell a story that speaks to the aspirations of seasonal workers. They are looking for jobs that meet their specific needs, not generic, impersonal offers.
Everything begins on the first day: how do you ensure a successful arrival for your seasonal workers?
Seasonal hiring does not end when the contract is signed. For your new team members, everything truly begins the moment they walk through your door. Yet they won’t have three months to get up to speed, they will need to be operational within a few days.
This is why the welcome process must be simple and effective. Assign a clearly identified point of contact to guide each new employee, give them a clear and visual mission sheet so they immediately understand what is expected, and offer a few targeted micro-trainings adapted to the position and easy to complete within their first days.
A structured, warm, and personalized welcome sets the tone for what follows. It shows that their contribution matters, that you want to give them the best conditions to succeed, and it plays a major role in their motivation and loyalty. The more your seasonal employees feel expected and well prepared, the more efficient, engaged, and proud they will be to represent you throughout the season.
What if this year you tried a different way of hiring?
Each season is an opportunity to innovate, try new approaches, and grow. What if this year you decided to approach your seasonal hiring differently to make it even better?
If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry, we can help. Contact us !