How to recruit for the festive season

The festive season is hugely busy time for retailers – with some studies suggesting that retail sales during the holiday months can account for a whopping 30 percent of annual sales.

Which makes it all the more important that you have retail staff you can rely on to handle the rush and the associated customer challenges that may be heading your way.

Here’s how to fill retail jobs and build a strong workforce for the upcoming Christmas period.

1. Start recruiting as early as possible

As a retailer, you probably already know that hiring for the holidays can be tricky – and so our top tip would be to start the process as early as possible.

This includes talking to your existing employees and store managers about their leave requirements, and putting together a working schedule that takes you over the Christmas period. The schedule will also make it really clear where you need to plug the gaps with the type of employees you need (be it casual, part-time, full-time or contract)..

Also, recruiting early gives you ample time to fill retail jobs and get any new hires up to speed on your systems before the Christmas rush hits.

2. Trust the experts when recruiting

You may be using social media or email marketing to let customers know you’re hiring, or you may have incentive programs in place for existing staff to refer solid candidates to you that they know and trust. If those strategies work, it can save you time and money.

However, if you’re finding it hard to fill your retail jobs and are thinking of the bigger picture – i.e., building a team you can trust and rely on to be there for the long haul – it’s a good idea to talk to an industry recruiter (like us).

These agencies have candidates on speed dial, lots of up-to-date industry knowledge and the ability to think outside the box in order to help you quickly attract the right people.

3. Pay well (and accurately!)

It’s no secret you’re recruiting at a busy time of year and in a competitive market – with lots of retail staff potentially out of town or already snapped up by other companies. One way to make your job ad stand out is to ensure you’re offering hourly rates slightly above awards, if that’s in your budget – it’ll just make your role that bit more attractive.

Similarly, you’ll want to ensure you’re also paying the right award wages to the right staff, and have tax and super contributions sorted rather than having to make changes during a busy period. Talk to Fair Work if you need advice or tips if you’re filling new jobs over the festive season and want to make sure you have everything in order.

4. Offer the right benefits

Countless surveys indicate how important flexibility is to employees in a post-Covid world – but if you can’t offer working from home, what can you offer? Well, scheduling flexibility is one perk employees value – that’s where you give staff the autonomy to easily swap shifts with one another, or to choose shifts that fit around their other commitments.

You’ll also want to make sure new hires are aware of any perks, healthcare benefits or bonus holiday discounts they’re entitled to (which may come in very handy around Christmas!)

5. Make your onboarding process easy and seamless

This is not the time to drop the ball or drag out the hiring process – as proactive candidates can be easily snapped up by other competitors in the retail space.

Consider having a checklist to help you quickly evaluate applicants, and put a same-day offer in place to help you accelerate the process when you find the right people.

You’ll also want to cover everything from the EFTPOS system to the gift card process in your training, and ideally document all systems in written or recorded tutorials. Pairing veteran staff with newbies for mentoring and training can also help them get up to speed quicker. And communicating what new hires need to know – such as where to clock on, break times, behind the counter tasks and so on, can also help employees starting out feel prepared and ready.

With any luck, your retail team will be raring to go and able to easily handle the Christmas rush!

Want more intel about how to keep your retail staff happy at work?

Our 2022 Frontline Feel Good Index Report is available for download now.