Preparing for the holiday season requires careful thought and execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From making sure you have proper inventory levels, to equipping your team with the right tools and supplies, to having enough staff in the first place, you have your work cut out for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thankfully, in today\u2019s article, we\u2019re giving you a leg up on the latter by sharing some of our top tips for hiring the best employees during the holiday season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ready to learn what they are?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s get right into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Hire students with seasonal work experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Students or college graduates are usually the easiest to hire as seasonal workers since they\u2019re on break from school during the holidays and may even feel enthusiastic about earning extra cash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can attract them to your business by sharing open positions with customers who pay using student debit cards. You can also advertise positions on student job boards or at your local colleges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When reviewing their applications, be sure to vet them by checking in with their references or consider having them come in for a test run. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also use a photo editing tool to make your job postings more appealing to potential student candidates, or you can ask your previous student employees to shoot short videos for social media showcasing why they enjoyed working for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why should job candidates work for you this holiday season? What\u2019s in it for them? How can they benefit from short-term work? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to highlight the answers to these questions in your job ads and postings. You should also share this information with your recruiters so they can better advocate for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some examples of benefits you can highlight:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask your most trusted employees if they know anyone they can refer to you for holiday work, especially if you need to hire dedicated software developer<\/a> talent alongside seasonal staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When requesting internal referrals, make it easy by sending a questionnaire to all your existing full-time and part-time employees. In your questionnaire, include questions about people they may know (and don\u2019t forget to ask if they\u2019re available, too). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s an example of questions you might include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If possible, consider opening up slots for extended work for temporary employees who work well during the holidays. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This not only gives them something to hope for and work toward, but it can also help you build a team of happy, hard-working, and engaged employees you can rely on no matter what time of year it is. An employee scheduling software<\/a> like Homebase can support this by making it easy for staff to see and swap overtime opportunities, helping you cover shifts while empowering your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s nothing that deters applicants from applying for work more than lengthy or complicated application, interview, and onboarding processes. Jobs quickly lose their appeal when an applicant knows they have to jump through hoops to land them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make hiring easy for both you and your job candidates, it\u2019s essential to design quick and easy systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the best ways to simplify the application process is to add an \u201ceasy apply\u201d button made famous by Indeed and LinkedIn<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With an \u201ceasy apply\u201d button, applicants typically set up a profile on a job search platform, upload their resume and credentials, and then rely on the platform to populate that info into job applications they apply for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this method only works if the job board or website lists an \u201ceasy apply\u201d button or notice that\u2019s easy to spot.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to make sure all systems are mobile and desktop-friendly so applicants can apply and navigate through them with ease, no matter what device they use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the interview process, keep interviews to one or two sessions max. Applicants don\u2019t appreciate needlessly drawn-out processes, and you may end up losing them altogether if you make them wait too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And finally, when it comes to onboarding, make sure you have software in place to make the transition as smooth as possible. If you use software for monitoring employees<\/a>, be upfront about what\u2019s tracked and focus it on schedules, timekeeping, and safety during the rush – not micromanagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to also set any onboarding expectations early on so new employees understand what\u2019s expected of them before officially starting work. This may include attending additional meetings, completing training, or submitting new-hire paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t wait until October to start looking for holiday employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Starting the recruitment process well in advance (think July or August) can help both you and your holiday workers prepare for the busy season before it\u2019s too late. You can even leverage AI recruiting tools<\/a> to forecast hiring needs and identify top candidates early, saving valuable time during the rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When starting the hiring and interviewing process<\/a>, be super transparent about when new hires will begin and when their contracts with you will end. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Be sure to also specify if there will be opportunities for additional work after the seasonal contract ends or if there\u2019ll be opportunities for more holiday work next year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You might also consider offering freelance opportunities<\/a> to seasonal employees interested in working with you on an as-needed basis after the holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IB-article.png?resize=512%2C268&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Highlight what\u2019s in it for them <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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3. Ask for internal referrals <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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4. Sweeten the deal with an opportunity for extended work <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
5. Create a simple application, interview, and onboarding process <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IB-article-1.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n6. Start the hiring and interviewing process early <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/IB-article-2.png?resize=690%2C690&ssl=1\")
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