How to improve your onboarding process for seasonal workers

With summer fast approaching, sectors such as hospitality, retail and leisure are turning their attention to seasonal workers. But having the resources ready to tackle one of the busiest times of the year is only part of the equation; making sure they’re trained, engaged and motivated is crucial.

With most seasonal workers being recruited for customer-facing roles, their onboarding experience needs to be efficient, effective and make the right impression so they can impress your customers. Finding the right recruits and getting them up to speed often has to happen in a very short timeframe, nevertheless, your onboarding process for seasonal workers should be designed to set them (and your business) up for success.

They’re the face of your business, your representatives and responsible for delivering an outstanding customer experience for weeks if not months. So, with that in mind, what can you do to improve your onboarding process? Here are 6 ideas to get you started:

1.Buddy up (to hit the ground running)

Partnering your temporary staff with permanent employees is a great way for them to learn from experience and pick up the small, often undocumented details of the job that can make a big difference. Shadowing and sharing the workload gives your seasonal workers an opportunity to ask questions while they work and get fast answers, helping them get up to speed quicker. Plus, your employees develop their mentoring skills and increase the capability within your team.

2. Set expectations (and increase productivity)

While they might only be with you for a short period, setting objectives ensures your temporary employees know what you expect of them. Seasonal workers often get thrown in at the deep end once the induction is complete, and while they might understand the task at hand, they’re not sure about the purpose. Clear objectives give them a focus, an end goal and a deeper appreciation of how they’re contributing to the business. In turn, engagement can go up and productivity increases.

3. Choose your training tools carefully (for faster learning)

You’re likely to be more than a little familiar with the four learning styles: visual, auditory reading/writing, and kinaesthetic. Temporary staff usually need to learn the ropes quickly and so having different styles of teaching tools available helps you deploy your team quicker, and with a better understanding of how to do the job. Options could include:

  • Workshops
  • One-to-one sessions
  • Training videos
  • Worksheets
  • Training manuals
  • Reminder sheets

4. Keep it short and sweet (to make it more effective)

We’re focusing on an onboarding process that sets up your seasonal workers for success. While the content should be comprehensive, the best results often come from a process that’s time efficient and content which is concise and highly relevant. Top tip: Avoid information overload - give your temporary staff the best chance of absorbing the information and putting it into practice.

5. Show them they belong (for greater engagement)

Even as temporary employees, it’s likely they’ll want to feel they belong (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Ensuring seasonal workers feel part of the team goes a long way to helping them feel engaged and motivated – and therefore keen to do their best. As well as the benefits we talked about earlier, buddying up also helps integrate your temporary staff with the rest of the team and can build a friendly culture. Sharing the company’s vision and how they contribute to the bigger picture can make them feel like more than a cog in a wheel too.

And simple strategies such as making sure your seasonal workers have a name badge makes them feel valued and creates a sense of connection with the team and wider business. In turn, you get the best from your staff. Making them feel a part of the team doesn’t need to mean more expense either. For example, Premium Instabadges from Badgemaster are reusable name badges which are fully customisable to your brand. You can print your name badge card inserts on demand locally, in an instant – ideal for an ever-evolving workforce.

6. Stay in contact (and improve your onboarding process)

Ongoing support is part of a robust onboarding process. So once the initial induction period is over don’t leave your seasonal workers to their own devices – keep in contact. Every one of your recruits will have different needs so regular check-ins are an opportunity for them to clarify anything they’re unsure about and get support in areas where they might be struggling - which means your customer service doesn’t suffer unnecessarily. It’s also a chance for you to listen to their questions to improve your process.

It’s fitting that the final word should be about exit management: Don’t neglect your offboarding. It’s never too early to think about an exit plan - offboarding is just as important as onboarding your seasonal workers. This year’s temporary staff might be looking for similar work next year and with the right offboarding process in place recruitment for next season can be easier and more cost-effective. And don’t forget about potential candidates for permanent roles in the future. Leaving your seasonal staff with a positive memory of their time with you can make your life easier when it comes to recruitment campaigns.

 

Find the reusable name badge that’s the perfect fit for your brand and budget. Why not start with the badge of choice for some of the UK’s biggest brands: Premium Instabadge - available to design and order online.