Canada’s Seasonal Hiring Frenzy Begins

The holiday shopping season is one of the busiest and most important times for many businesses. With colder weather arriving and the holidays looming, companies are looking for additional help. This is something temporary hiring agencies, like Nova Staffing, aid businesses with every year. However, this year is more of a frenzy than usual.

 

It’s reported that employers are having a more challenging time than normal hiring temporary workers to cover the demand of the holiday season. The number of job postings of seasonal hires is outpacing those looking for these types of positions. Seasonal postings this winter are up 28% compared to last year and 40% from 2019. However, people looking for these temp positions are still below pre-pandemic levels.

 

“Employers have found it challenging to fill roles across the economy, and I think seasonal hiring is going to be no different this year,” said Brendon Bernard, senior economist at Indeed.

 

“For some individual employers, I do think filling those roles is going to be difficult. And so then the question is … what are employers doing to differentiate themselves?”

 

Employers may need to adjust wages or offer scheduling flexibility to attract hires. Temp workers don’t get benefits, such as sick or vacation days, so whatever extras a business can offer can set them apart from other companies looking for the same type of workers.

 

A big reason employers are pushing for holiday hiring is the expectation that shoppers will return to stores in person after the pandemic. Most seasonal hires are for retail-focused jobs that address the increased shopping during the holiday season. In fact, half of this year’s seasonal job postings are for customer-facing retail positions such as sales associates and customer service representatives. With major shopping events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Boxing Day, as well as the Christmas shopping rush, retailers are right to be concerned about ramping up staffing levels.

 

Stores that cannot meet their staffing needs may have to resort to shorter hours or other measures. If your business is in need of temporary, seasonal hires, contact Nova Staffing today. Our team of hiring experts has extensive experience hiring talented temporary workers.

5 Benefits of Hiring Temporary Holiday Staff

The holiday season is just around the corner, and now is the time to ask- is your business ready? For many companies, the holidays aren’t only the happiest time of the year, it’s also the busiest. It’s not uncommon for workers to feel more stressed and overworked leading up to the holidays. Hiring temporary holiday workers is a great way to combat this. Here are a few benefits to using holiday employees as a staffing solution.

 

Increased Flexibility

Temporary workers improve flexibility to help with a number of staffing issues, especially during holiday time. From employees taking vacations to increased holiday workload, temp workers can be brought in on short notice to fill any gaps. They can be added where needed for however long your company needs the help. Their short-term contracts also mean you won’t have to deal with a surplus of staff once the holidays are over.

 

Improved Productivity

A stressed employee isn’t usually a productive one. Many businesses face increased demand during the holidays, and that puts a lot of pressure on employees, leaving them less time for each task. By hiring temporary workers to help with the holiday rush, you can improve productivity across the board.

 

Save Money

Has your company ever really looked at the math of hiring a permanent employee? Temporary employees are usually more cost-effective than long-term hires. They typically work on an hourly wage rather than salary and don’t get benefits, bonuses, or other company perks that cost money. Temp employees are a cost-effective solution to increase the holiday workload, especially since they’re typically only needed for a few months.

 

Long-Term Potential

Our HR experts can tell you that one of our client’s best workers started as temporary hires. Many companies find some of their hardest workers by trialing them as temp employees. It allows both the worker and company to see whether it’s a good fit before committing. Using short-term employees is also a great staffing solution while you look for the right person to fill the position.  

 

Keeps Staffing Balanced

One of the biggest benefits of temporary staffing is that it prevents companies from struggling with under or overstaffing. The holidays are a busy time and often require additional workers to get through it all, but once they’re over, you don’t want your company to be bloated with extra workers. You also don’t want to be caught understaffed during this time of year. The holidays fall often mean employees are taking vacation or fall victim to the flu or burn out. Holiday temp workers can help keep your business’s staffing needs balanced.

 

Look for holiday staffing solutions? Our team of hiring experts at Nova Staffing is here to help! As one of the top temp employment agencies in the GTA, we can help find your company qualified candidates to meet your holiday staffing needs. Contact us today to get started!