How to find summer talent for seasonal hiring

For many hiring teams, the stress of seasonal hiring can take away the joy of the summer season—with vacation excitement swallowed by the impending doom of filling shifts. And the economic expectations don’t ease any of the nerves.

According to LinkedIn, “Retailers predict a 2023 holiday season similar to 2022, with a gain in sales… while economists predict tourism and travel to increase by 30% in 2023.” According to one report, employers added nearly 1.23 million summer jobs for teens  in 2022 and are expected to add 1.16 million this year—compared to the only 625,000 jobs added in 2021. 

But there is hope. The strongest hiring tools are made to withstand economic surges (and lulls), and with the right ones in place, teams can create a strategy that runs off automation (instead of manual efforts).

Below are 3 strategies to ensure your seasonal hiring is quickly marked off your to-do list.

Keep passive candidates engaged.

One of the advantages seasonal hiring teams have is access to a qualified candidate base year-round. Who knows your business and the ins and outs of operations more than your previous employees?

Engaging with candidates via text is not only their preferred method, but it’s also a lot more effective. Keep previous employees in the loop on hiring needs and business updates throughout the year—helping you establish relationships with people beyond just last-minute hiring needs.

With HireVue, you can send automated text reminders and create solid feedback loops with candidates. You can message them from the platform (not your personal phone), and they can engage as easily as sending a text.

Don’t start each hiring season with a blank slate. Engage your previous employees and start filling your shifts fast with qualified talent you trust.

Evaluate skills—not resumes.

We say this a lot, but it’s worth saying again: Resumes don’t predict success. 

When you’re looking to hire for a season, you can’t waste time wondering if you made the right hire—and you can’t just hope for the best. 

LinkedIn echoes the same sentiments saying, “Consider candidates who show potential – Look for transferable skills instead of relying on candidates with specific experience or skills.”

At HireVue, we believe there is potential in every candidate, and we strive to unlock it. Assessments are a great way to find potential in candidates and pinpoint the skills that better predict success—not factors like alma maters or experience.

And when time is of the essence, your hiring experience needs to be fast. HireVue Assessments are quick and engaging, can be completed on a mobile phone, and even allow teams to interview and assess in one easy step—so you can start making offers before your shifts get busy.

Make sure your chatbot is actually smart.

Chatbots may not be people, but they should be able to have human-like conversations. Candidates shouldn’t have to input specific language to hopefully get a match or response.

Many seasonal jobs aren’t “normal,” meaning they may not be simply labeled as “cashier” or “marketing manager.” Some roles may be titled “crew member” or “warehouse stocker,” so candidates may need help determining how to search for them.

If your chatbot can help candidates based on skills, it can give them access to all the roles available. A smart chatbot can search based on the skills needed for a position, so the burden of responsibility is no longer on candidates to ensure they are searching for a specific title. 

Seasonal hiring teams have to hire fast or risk their business losing money from understaffed teams and high customer expectations. HireVue’s conversational AI widens the recruiting funnel with smart, chat-based job matching, so your candidate experience is not only primed for success but hiring teams don’t miss out on top talent. 

Ready to add more strategy to your seasonal hiring? Request a demo and start filling your shifts today.