It is no surprise that in today’s competitive employment landscape, organisations are relying on a mix of full-time, part-time, fixed-term, and seasonal employees more than ever before to meet demand. While full-time employees are typically the foundation of most organisations, seasonal staff play a critical role in addressing short-term spikes in demand, such as religious holidays, holiday seasons, or tourism peaks. However, retaining seasonal workers, and ensuring they return year after year, remains a significant challenge for many organisations!
In this blog, we explore the specific challenges organisations face when it comes to engaging seasonal employees, particularly in the context of the current employment market. We will also discuss strategies organisations can adopt to develop and retain their entire workforce, including seasonal staff, to ensure a strong talent pool for the future.
The Challenges of Retaining Seasonal Staff in 2024
Competition for skilled workers across industries continues to be one of the key challenges organisations are facing within the 2024 labour market. Organisations that rely heavily on seasonal staff face the challenge of competing on two fronts; with other employers, and with the gig economy, for the attention and loyalty of potential workers.
The gig economy has seen huge growth in recent years, with technology driving the widespread utilisation of app-based purchasing such as Uber, Deliveroo, and Just Eat. Seasonal employees, especially in sectors like retail, hospitality, or agriculture, often have multiple options for temporary work, making it easier for them to switch jobs if better offers or more convenient working conditions arise.
Seasonal staff typically face a lack of job security and worse benefits compared to their full-time counterparts. The temporary nature of their employment means they often miss out on benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, salary sacrifice schemes, and enhanced pension plans. This lack of long-term security and reduction in benefits package can make it difficult for companies to build loyalty among seasonal workers, who may instead gravitate toward positions that offer more stability and better perks.
Seasonal staff can feel less connected to the organisation and its culture, due to the short-term nature of their employment. This sense of disconnect can lead to lower engagement and motivation, resulting in reduced productivity and higher turnover. For many organisations, it can be difficult to build a sense of belonging and investment among seasonal employees when they are only with the company for a few months.
Organisations that utilise seasonal workers often struggle with the question of how to develop and upskill this portion of the workforce. While full-time employees typically have access to training and career development opportunities, seasonal staff may miss out on these opportunities due to time constraints or cost considerations. This lack of investment in their development can disengage and discourage seasonal employees from returning in subsequent years.
The workforce in 2024 is multigenerational, and includes a wider age range than it has ever before. This means that there are more diverse needs and wants from the workforce, including elements such as; flexibility, personal growth, values alignment, and meaningful work experiences.
Seasonal workers are no exception to this trend. They are looking for positions that offer more than just a paycheck; they want roles that provide opportunities for learning, growth, flexibility, purpose and wider connection. Organisations that fail to meet these expectations risk losing valuable seasonal staff to more fulfilling opportunities elsewhere.
Strategies for Retaining and Engaging Seasonal Staff
Given these challenges, many professionals across our HR network are scratching their heads trying to workout, how companies can ensure that their seasonal workers return year after year. Here are several strategies that we feel organisations can put into action to get, keep and grow seasonal employees.
A key factor in retaining seasonal staff is developing a compelling employer brand that resonates with both full-time and seasonal workers. This involves crafting a positive work culture and environment, offering competitive pay, and clearly communicating the value of working with your organisation, also known as ‘the why’.
Emphasising the benefits of returning as a seasonal employee – such as familiarity with the work, building relationships with colleagues, and potential career growth, can help to foster loyalty and make your company a more attractive option than competitors.
We’ve also seen organisations introduce incentive programmes for returning seasonal workers to provide benefits that are unique to them and encourage them back. We’ve seen these types of initiatives being a successful retention strategy for seasonal workers to return for future seasons. Offering bonuses, pay increases, or other rewards for employees who come back year after year can demonstrate that your company values their contribution. You can also offer early hiring opportunities for returning employees, allowing them to secure their positions ahead of new hires. This not only provides peace of mind to the worker, but also helps reduce the time and resources needed for recruitment and training.
Now, let’s look further afield than just incentive plans. While seasonal staff may not always be eligible for the same benefits as full-time employees, organisations can, and should, still offer benefits and perks that enhance the employee experience of seasonal workers. This could include offering discounts on company products, access to free or subsidised meals, transportation assistance, or flexible scheduling options. Providing these types of perks can help seasonal workers feel more valued and appreciated, increasing their likelihood of returning for future employment.
Even though seasonal employment is temporary, providing training and development opportunities can help employees feel more connected to the organisation, and motivated to perform at their best. Offering training programs that teach transferable skills, such as customer service or team leadership, can drive higher engagement with your seasonal workers, and make them feel more invested in their role. For example, many retailers offer “fast-track” training programs for seasonal workers that give them the opportunity to develop skills that can lead to full-time positions in their company in the future.
One of the main reasons seasonal employees may not return is that they don’t see any opportunities for growth or a clear path for growth within the organisation. Some seasonal workers may be looking for more permanent roles in the future, and to address this, companies should consider creating structured pathways for seasonal workers to transition into full-time roles if they are interested in doing so.
Providing mentorship, clear performance feedback, and opportunities for internal promotion can make seasonal workers feel like they are a valued part of the team, and have a future within the organisation beyond their temporary role. This also can support retention of these seasonal workers on a yearly basis; they may not be ready or looking for a full-time role now, but knowing that there is the opportunity available to them can keep your organisation front and centre of mind.
Seasonal employees are more likely to return if they feel a strong sense of connection to the company’s culture and values. Organisations can build this connection by ensuring that seasonal staff are fully integrated into the company’s day-to-day operations. This might include involving them in team-building activities, recognizing their achievements through awards or public acknowledgment, and encouraging managers to build strong relationships with seasonal workers. A positive, inclusive culture can help seasonal staff feel more like a part of the company’s community, increasing their overall engagement.
Leveraging Technology for Seamless Onboarding and Communication
The recruitment and onboarding process for seasonal workers is often rushed due to the time constraints of the contract, which can leave them feeling unprepared for their roles. Leveraging technology can streamline onboarding and training, ensuring seasonal employees have the tools they need to succeed from day one. Online training platforms, mobile apps, WhatsApp courses, and communication tools can help to quickly integrate seasonal staff into the organisation, and ensure they stay informed and engaged throughout their employment.
Additionally, maintaining communication with seasonal employees during the off-season, through newsletters or social media, can help keep them connected to the company and increase their chances of returning. Organisations often have these processes and mechanisms in place when keeping individuals connected with their organisation through transitions such as maternity and parental leave.
To stay competitive in 2024’s labour market, organisations must adapt to the evolving expectations of the workforce. Offering flexibility (which was ranked as the number 1 factor in retention of people in 2023), promoting work-life balance, and supporting personal growth initiatives, are all critical factors in retaining seasonal staff.
Companies should also consider how they can offer meaningful work experiences, even in seasonal roles. Providing opportunities for workers to take on challenging tasks, solve problems or contribute to the company’s larger mission can create a sense of fulfilment and connection that keeps them coming back.
Developing and Growing Talent Pools
In addition to retaining seasonal workers, organisations should focus on developing a talent pipeline that includes both full-time and part-time employees. By viewing seasonal workers as part of the broader talent pool, companies can create a more holistic approach to workforce planning.
Here are some examples that we’ve seen to grow and develop a sustainable talent pool across all employee types:
Offering cross-training opportunities can help develop the skills of full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees alike. Cross-training allows employees to learn new skills utilised in other roles within the organisation, increasing their versatility, opportunities, and value to the company. For seasonal employees, cross-training can also make their roles more interesting and help them develop a broader skill set that they can use in future positions.
Creating formal talent development programs, that include seasonal workers, can help ensure that all employees, regardless of their employment status, have the opportunity to grow personally within the organisation. These programs should focus on skills development, confidence, career development, and deepening networks. Coupled with providing clear paths for employees to advance, this drives commitment and engagement with the organisation.
Developing a network of former seasonal employees who have moved on to other opportunities can help grow the organisation’s talent pool. This “alumni” network can serve as a valuable resource for future recruitment, as former seasonal workers may be interested in returning or referring others to open positions within the company. This initiative also drives greater connectivity to the brand, as well as providing the valuable networks that are vital for career and professional development.
Conclusion
In 2024’s competitive job market, companies must develop creative and thoughtful strategies to retain and engage seasonal staff while also developing talent pools that include all types of employees. By offering compelling incentives, creating a strong organisational culture, investing in development, and adapting to the changing expectations of the workforce, organisations can ensure that their seasonal employees return year after year.
The key is to treat seasonal employees as valuable contributors to the company’s overall mission, providing them with the tools, support, and opportunities they need to thrive.