This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
holiday special Hiring Holiday


There’s a lot of work involved with finding and hiring holiday employees. Getting the right people into place before the bells start jingling is a critical component to having a successful close to the year. Ken Silber


H


ave you struggled with finding seasonal employees? Is your hiring process designed to do everything it can to ensure you get the right people hired and trained


before the madness ensues? Once on board, are you keeping them engaged and getting the most out of them? Here are ten tips that can help you find, hire, and maximize your seasonal help.


How to Find The Best Workers


1. Job description Hiring people with the wrong expectations can spell disaster come Black Friday. There’s nothing worse than a new employee being hired, and then finding out the job wasn’t what they thought it would be. Don’t set incorrect expectations, especially since you need to avoid turnover during this critical time of year.


Consider updating your job descriptions. Having an official


job description can help you write an accurate “help wanted” ad, guide your interview questions, and keep training and expectations on track.


2. Repeat performance Reach out to last year’s seasonal help. The competition heats up when it comes to hiring the best seasonal workers. Why not focus on people you already have a relationship with? You’ve already trained them; you know their strengths, and you can focus on the ones who were the most productive and reliable.


3. Fan mail Ask your biggest fans—your customers! They live nearby. They’re familiar with your products. They are your target demographic, so they understand your audience. And they’re already brand ambassadors.


130 Specialty Retail Report n Fall 2013 Help How to Hire the Best Workers


5. Structured interviews Many hiring managers believe that a less “formal” interview process allows them to get better answers. In reality, an unstructured interview often doesn’t focus on job-related questions, and it can open the door to bias and possible legal ramifications. Structured interviews follow a set of job-related questions,


which are identical for every candidate applying for a position, making interviewing fast and consistent. The candidates’ answers are rated based on a predetermined scale, and those ratings are used to determine who moves to the next step in the process. This ensures that everyone is treated fairly.


6. References matter While time- consuming, reference checking is a very important step in the hiring process. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “past performance is predictive of future results.” Find out if your applicants were reliable, were able to learn


quickly, and had a great attitude. Also, you’ll want to make sure to take into consideration if you’re speaking with a previous supervisor or merely a family friend, and only ask job-related questions.


SpecialtyRetail.com


Signs at the entrance and near the cash registers offer great visibility, and a colorful flyer in every bag will stand out. If you have a mailing list, send a postcard or email with information. HINT: Make sure to emphasize the employee discount


they’ll be getting. That discount can be very attractive to customers who are looking for ways to save (and earn) extra money for the holidays.


4. Employee incentives Your employees are a great source for referrals. Encourage them to spread the word to their friends and family about any open positions, and offer them an incentive for each worker you hire.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148