Shopping for Talent this Holiday Season? 10 Crucial Hiring Secrets Revealed

For some businesses the holiday season is crunch time. This time of year is often hectic for delivery service companies, retail establishments, and many professional service organizations. And with a majority of full-timers using their paid time off to run last minute holiday errands and to spend time with family, trying to meet the added demand can become a real challenge.
You need extra help, but with time running out what can you do? Although it may not be cost effective to bring on additional full-time staff, it may be feasible to hire part-time, seasonal, or temporary workers to help you out during the holiday rush. But, remember to keep in mind: the same rules that apply to hiring full-time staff apply to hiring seasonal workers. This means carefully screening resumes and applications, conducting interviews, checking references, and performing background checks.

Below are some additional guidelines to consider when hiring employees during the holiday season:

1. To hire or not to hire? Before posting job ads and investing the time, money and energy into looking for additional staff, determine why you’re looking to hire. It may be because there is a temporary spike in business or because a valued employee is out on vacation. But before jumping in, you will want to determine if there are others ways to meet business demands. Perhaps rearranging work schedules so that more staff members are on during peak hours, assigning overtime hours, or reorganizing employee responsibilities to allow for more time to be spent on critical projects may help to eliminate the need to hire additional employees. Bottom line: weigh your options and make sure you are maximizing the use of your available resources.
2. Identify critical positions. Identify the positions that need to be filled immediately. Target your recruiting efforts here before moving to the less critical positions. This will ensure you have the necessary coverage when you need it most.
3. Determine your recruiting method. Once you know that hiring additional staff is necessary and exactly which positions are most important in meeting company goals, you will need to decide the best way to reach out to your applicant pool. Typically, the recruiting method used is based on the type of employee you wish to bring on. Hiring temporary workers often requires contracting with a contingency search firm, whereas, hiring for a very specialized type of position may require the expertise of a seasoned recruiting professional. But for lower-level positions, placing a job ad in the local newspaper or on an online job board may be all you need to find the right candidate.
4. Advertise with local colleges. Many college students have a month off during the holiday season and are always looking to make an extra buck. Consider advertising for open positions at local campuses. It’s a cost effective way to fill positions that are only needed for the short-term.
5. Seasonal workers. Seasonal workers are available to work during a certain part of the year. These workers typically put in a full 40 hour workweek for the period in which they work and are often usedin retail stores and seasonal operations, such as ski slopes or theme parks.
6. Temporary workers. These workers are often used to meet business goals while employees are out on leave or to help meet critical project deadlines during periods of increased demand. But beware: you will more than likely have to pay a premium to get these workers – especially during this time of year. Employers utilizing this staffing strategy typically pay a contingency firm responsible for finding, hiring, and paying these temporary workers.
7. Part-time employees. Less costly than hiring full-time staff members, part-time employeestypically do not expect benefits. Although these workers may not put in a 40 hour work week, they can still be particularly valuable during the holiday rush. Working three 10 hour days during the weekend shopping frenzy, for example, may be all that is needed to ensure appropriate coverage.
8. Look for customer – oriented workers. Tis the season of goodwill. It’s important that both temporary and long-term employees understand the importance of customer service. Customers are often rushing around during the holiday season, so it’s important your staff is ready to help ease some of their holiday stress. Make sure anyone you hire this season is friendly, courteous, and helpful when dealing with customers.
9. Don’t make decisions in haste. Just as if you were hiring for a more permanent full-time position, be sure to follow the company’s typical hiring process when looking for seasonal workers. This means be thorough and screen resumes, interview candidates, conduct background checks, and call references. You should never stray from your established procedures just because you think it’s “only temporary”. Who knows? A good hire now may lead into a full-time employee down the road.
10. Consider future needs. Temporary or seasonal work situations provide a good opportunity to “test drive” your employees before you commit. When staff members are hired on a temporary basis it allows you to evaluate their skills and work habits. If you have had some exceptional workers during this busy time of year, consider asking these employees if they’re interested in full-time opportunities.

Staffing can be a challenge any time of the year. But, with a majority of workers looking for full-time positions, finding the right employees for your needs during the holiday season can be nearly impossible. Follow the guidelines listed above to help ensure you don’t spend big bucks to get the coverage you need.

Time off to Vote: What’s required? What’s not?

With this year’s presidential election right around the corner, employers need to start thinking about how to handle voting time off requests. While not all states have requirements pertaining to voting leave, those that do impose harsh penalties on employers failing to comply.Generally, states with voting leave laws require employers to provide registered voters with time off from work to vote – typically two to three hours. In most cases time off is only granted if the employee does not have sufficient time outside of work hours to cast their ballot.

Although requirements vary by state, there are some basic guidelines all employers should follow when it comes to granting employees time off to vote:

1. Create a policy. Employers should develop a policy relating to voting time to ensure that all employees and managers understand company procedures relating to voting time. The policy should cover: which employees are eligible to take time off to vote (i.e., registered voters who are unable to vote during non-working hours); the amount of time employees are permitted to take off to vote; if the time will be paid or unpaid; whether advance notice is required by employees requesting time off; and if it is necessary for employees to provide proof that they voted. Employers should re-evaluate their voting leave policies to ensure they comply with state-specific requirements. Policies should also be re-distributed to employees well before Election Day so they’re given enough time to review it, seek clarification if needed, and if applicable make leave requests in a timely fashion.

2. Pay. Most states with voting leave laws require employers pay their employees for time spent voting, although some states specify only a certain number of hours must be paid. If pay is required, employers must comply. It’s important to note that if pay is obligatory requiring employees use accrued paid time off is not permitted.
3. Notice. Employers are certainly within their rights to request that employees provide advance notice of their need for leave. When notice is required, it is recommended that it be in writing and at least 24 hours prior to Election Day. Employers may even want to require employees file requests even earlier in order to coordinate schedules and allow for the appropriate coverage.

4. Proof. To ensure employees are actually using time off to vote, employers may request they provide proof, which is typically done in the form of a voter’s receipt. In some states, pay for time spent voting may be contingent upon the employee’s ability to provide such evidence.

5. When. To ensure efficient business operations with minimal interruption, employers may be permitted to specify the hours in which employees can take time off to vote. Typically, these hours are either at the beginning of an employee’s shift or at the end of their shift.
6. How long. In most states two or three hours is typical for providing employees time off to vote. This is usually the case only when employees do not have two or three consecutive works before or after work to vote. While some states specify the number of hours that must be provided, other requirements are rather vague. For example, quite a few states indicate that employers must provide “reasonable” or “sufficient” time for employees to vote. Under these circumstances, employers should use their best judgment in determining what constitutes adequate time off to vote.
7. Retaliation. Employers are prohibited from taking disciplinary or retaliatory action against an employee opting to exercise his or her right to vote – the same goes for those who choose not to vote. Employers and managers should be cautious of any actions that may be construed as retaliatory. For example, if an employee votes prior to their scheduled shift, but fails to properly anticipate the time needed to vote, discipline should not be administered if the employee is late as a result. Taking disciplinary action in this situation may be viewed as a form of retaliation against an employee exercising his or her voting rights.

8. State requirements. Employers failing to fulfill their voting leave obligations may be subject to hefty fines. Penalties range from a slap on the wrist (i.e., a $50 fine) to significant fines (up to $20,000 and jail time)! That’s why it is imperative for employers to understand their state requirements before implementing a policy relating to voting time. Requirements vary among states with regards to how much time is to be provided, whether time off is to be paid or unpaid, and whether or not employees must provide notice of their anticipated need to take voting leave. Check your state requirements here.

Even if your state does not have specific provisions relating to voting time, granting employees time off to vote is a benefit you may want to consider providing. Giving employees sufficient time to exercise their right to vote demonstrates the company’s commitment to their employees and their political rights.