Jun 6, 2013

Get the Most from Your Summer Employees

Are you looking to bring on some temporary help during the summer months? By taking time to prepare wisely and find the right kind of hire for your business, you’ll get more from summer employees—without a lot of hassle and aggravation. Before you hire Planning is key. Don’t bring on people just because you think they might be useful when things get busy. Put together a job description for the temporary job, just as you would for any other position in your business. Identify precisely what you want a summer employee to be doing. If the temporary job is likely to entail a variety of responsibilities, include this with as much detail as possible in the written job description. From there, determine how many hours per week you’ll probably need from them. Full-time? Part-time? If there’s any doubt, consider hiring a part-time employee and adding hours to his or her schedule as the need arises. Are you aware of the minimum wage in your area? Pay rates can vary by state, city or region. You don’t want to get caught offering less than minimum wage, as word will spread among job-seekers and the qualified candidate pool will quickly dry up. Focused recruitment effort Who do you envision working as a summer employee in your business? Plenty of young people are looking for temporary work, so that’s always a good place to start. One option is contacting high school guidance counselors and campus career centers. Describe the open position and the kinds of skills you’re looking for. Ask them to share this information with their most reliable and talented students. Older and retired workers are another source of potentially ideal summer employees. Many men and women over 45 are among today’s long-term unemployed, so even those with considerable skill and experience will be interested in a short-term position in your business. Young or old, the best workers are ones with longer-term potential. When deliberating over possible candidates, focus on those qualities which might translate into a full-time hire after the summer is over. Unlike someone brought on for the first time, a summer employee who transitions to full-time status has already demonstrated his or her value and they’re familiar with your business. One more tip: In your recruitment materials, be sure to emphasize the best qualities of your workplace environment. Temporary employees are drawn to a business where it’s fun to work, just as much as any full-time candidate. On the job Once a new hire comes on board, take care of the necessary paperwork. When the season’s over, most temporary employees move on. How will you find them if additional tax forms need to be completed at the end of the fiscal year? Getting paperwork out of the way eliminates an unwelcome nuisance later on. Set aside a reasonable amount of time for training and orientation. Even the best new hires need some help to hit the ground running. Brief them on your policies and procedures, but particularly on all aspects of the business that affect customer service. One misstep by an uninformed or poorly trained temporary employee can impact your bottom line. On the other hand, a dedicated and reliable summer employee will help keep your business thriving during the long summer months.