The holiday rush is a stressful time for everybody. It doesn’t matter which industry you’re in, people are out and about more, shopping more, and shipping more to their homes. For the warehouse industry, you’re running things behind the scenes to make sure the front-facing part of operations runs smoothly. Because of this, you must be fully staffed for the holiday season as well. With help from Action Logistix, you can put together a plan for holiday warehouse staffing. We have a short guide with steps you can take to get started.
Start now
Whether we like it or not, the holiday season is right around the corner. Hiring for the seasonal rush requires an onboarding and training process that’s going to take time before some workers can work independently. By getting started today, you can ensure that your team is staffed and able to take on the inevitable influx of work that’s to come.
Identify your needs
Anytime you’re planning to hire new employees within your company, you must identify the areas of need. It’s not uncommon to promote from within the ranks of your company to fill holes upward of entry-level positions, so you should have an idea of where your current employees are headed in the company hierarchy, what positions will be open as a result, and how many seasonal positions you want to open to help with the rush. Once you’ve accounted for the number of positions you need, you can start putting the word out to hire.
Be honest about hours
Most seasonal employees understand what they’re getting into. This could mean there are inconsistent hours that increase as the holidays get closer or a sudden need for overnight workers. Be honest with those you interview about what the hours they’re going to be working will look like as well as the potential for changes. It’s not uncommon for seasonal workers to be taking on your position as a second job to help supplement their income for Christmas. This often means that they’ll need some level of flexibility with their day job. If this isn’t something you can work with, let them know so it’s not an issue when they’re working for you.
Don’t over-hire
Seasonal workers are looking for hours to work. This means that they’re often willing to work a specified number of hours that you’ve agreed on already during the hiring process. If you over-hire for your seasonal warehouse staffing, you could end up cutting hours for those who were counting on them or even having to downsize your staff. Make sure that you’re extending offers only to those who you intend on hiring for the holiday season. Over-hiring can seem to full-time and seasonal employees like you don’t have a plan now or beyond the holiday season, which can lead to disgruntled employees.
Have a plan for after the holidays
After the holidays are over, you’re going to have to do something with your seasonal employees. Once again, many are on board simply to get extra money for the Christmas season. This can work great for you as it’s not uncommon for things to come to a screeching halt after the holidays pass. However, you might want to retain a few of those employees based on their performance during the crazy season. Have a plan beforehand so you can account for those who you might want to extend a full-time offer without having to cut hours in other places to bring them on. If you don’t plan on retaining any of your holiday staff, let them know before they’re hired so there aren’t any surprises when it comes time to let them go.
Contact us to get started
If you’d like help getting prepared for warehouse staffing for the upcoming holiday rush, get in touch with our team at Action Logistix. We can put the word out and bring in quality employees to make the holiday season easier on you and your full-time staff. Give us a call today at 314-293-4210 or send a message using our online contact form and we’ll get started finding the right people for your seasonal staffing needs.
