The holiday season brings on a hiring rush to find additional help to manage the workload. The holidays are around the corner, which means it’s time to think about what additional help you need to manage the increased workload.

Seasonal workers are only around for a few months, but still have to be treated as a regular employee which can be challenging for HR.

If you’re planning on hiring seasonal workers this holiday season, avoid the hassle by planning ahead and keeping these thoughts in mind:

• Everyone is hiring
  Determine early where you’ll need help, how many seasonal workers you’ll need, and identify the work they’ll be doing. Start recruiting early to ensure the workers you need are available..
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• Training is essential
  Seasonal workers must be trained efficiently so their performance doesn’t lag. In fact, during the busiest time of the year, you want peak performance to stay on top of productivity.
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• Train seasonal hires the same way you train regular employees, and hire with enough time to provide proper onboarding and training to ensure success.
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• Extra responsibilities for HR
  Your HR department is key to your holiday hiring success. On top of their regular duties, they’ll also have to manage recruiting and processing seasonal hires, which includes extra paperwork, timekeeping records, and payroll and benefits processing.
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• Regardless of an employee’s tenure, federal Forms W-4 and I-9 must be collected and processed, as well as verifying employment eligibility. All employees on your payroll are obligated to standard withholdings. Ensure your HR department is prepared and capable of handling the seasonal influx of paperwork and payroll processing.
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• Minimum wage and overtime exemptions
  Many states and localities will adjust their minimum wage rates in the new year, so be sure you’re up-to-date with the changes that may be coming to maintain compliance.

 

Hiring during the holiday is crucial to many businesses so they can keep up with their busiest season, but it shouldn’t be a hassle. Treat hiring, on-boarding and managing your seasonal workers the same as your regular workforce, keeping the above in mind to ensure your success.