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Hiring Seasonal Employees for Your Winter Business

Semi Service October 26, 2017

Winter is just around the corner. If you live in the Utah, Nevada, Idaho or Wyoming area, that means snow – and a lot of it. For snow plow operators, things are about to get busy. Before the inches start piling up, does your business have the manpower to take every job offered to you? Like many companies, you probably need to start hiring seasonal employees.

But where do you start? And how do you find the best candidates? Read on to find some of our top tips for hiring winter help so you have enough hands on deck when the phone starts ringing.

How to Spread Your Message

One of the most difficult parts of hiring seasonal employees is getting the word out. In the old days, your options were limited. Today, it’s much easier – and often free – to get your job listings in front of potential candidates.

Social Media

Are you using social media? If not, you should be – and recruiting is a perfect example why. Even small businesses can quickly build a minor following. One post can quickly spread through a handful of followers until hundreds of people see your job posting. And it’s all completely free!

In addition to posting on Facebook or Twitter, you can also use a platform like LinkedIn. It offers deeper insights into the employment history of users. LinkedIn also has tools for employers to share jobs and find candidates.

Use Your Website

Another powerful tool for hiring seasonal employees is your website. There are a lot of advantages to using your site for recruiting:

It’s Essentially Free – While there are on-going costs to maintain your website, you can often update content on an existing page or add a new page for no or very little additional money.

It’s Relevant – Many of the users of your websites have an interest in your field already. Unlike general candidates, if they see a job posting, they may already have some experience doing what you do. This can make it easier to train and ultimately save you time and money down the road.

It Showcases Your Business – Even seasonal candidates want to work for companies that share similar values. Your website reflects your company; by bringing job seekers to your site, you introduce them to your company as well.

Ask Your Current Employees

Your best employees are also one of your best resources. Hard workers often know other hard workers. If you can, ask your employees about any potential family members or friends that would be interested in seasonal work. Not only could they save you time hunting for candidates, but it saves you the money you would have spent posting ads online or in local publications.

Most data shows that employee referral hires tend to be more reliable, faster to hire and faster to train. Surprisingly, small businesses were also shown to use employee referrals the least when it comes to recruiting. For businesses that need employees fast and without a lot of overhead, it’s a fantastic option you should consider.

Referral programs are popular options to help find more winter help. Rewards can be anything from cash to other incentives for referring reliable candidates. Find out what motivates your staff the most and run with it.

Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees Effectively

#1. Don’t Skip the Vetting Process

Hiring seasonal employees can feel like a mad rush. But that’s no excuse to relax your vetting process. Even temporary help will reflect on your business’s name. Whether it’s the friend of your best employee or a flawless resume from your job listings, thoroughly vet every potential candidate.

It may seem like a headache to operate your winter business a man down for an extra week or two. But a bad employee can cost you your reputation. You can teach anyone the best practices of snow or ice removal, but it doesn’t mean they’ll listen!

#2. Start the Hiring Process Early

Competition for seasonal work can be fierce, especially around here in Salt Lake City, Utah. You know you’ll need the help. For snow plow businesses, don’t wait until a blizzard is dumping snow on your city to put out your ads.

You may not know exactly how much winter help you’ll need. Start by working some key hires, and possibly keep a few extra candidates on the backburner. Just remember that the longer it’s been since you interviewed a potential hire, the more likely it is that they found other work.

#3. Advertise in the Right Places

Advertising your position in more traditional ways? Make sure you only promote your seasonal work where it makes sense. For winter snow plow businesses, spread the word where experienced drivers might see it. It’s better to have a small list of qualified candidates that understand how to use and maintain their snow plow than a big stack of applicants that have never operated one before!

#4.  Be Clear with Your Job Description

Hiring seasonal employees is like any form of advertising: be clear and succinct. An accurate, easy-to-read job listing will produce fewer irrelevant applicants. Again, you want your winter help to be great representatives of your business too. It’s not easy to find the best people, and it’s much harder if you don’t put in the effort to find them.

Planning for a Busy Snow Plowing Season?

Before winter officially arrives, read our tips on getting your snow plow ready this year! If you have questions or are looking for a new plow, we can help! Colder weather is still ahead, so now is a great time to stop in and let our experts help you.

Contact us online or give us a call at (801) 895-4419 to get started today!

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