Preparing Now for the “Heat” of Summer Staffing
The year already seems to be flying by, and summer is around the corner. Don’t let the urgency of the ‘Virus’ keep you from essential preparations for the future. Before you know it, temperatures will be high, and most likely, your need for summer staffing support will be as well.
Whether it’s because summer is your peak season, all those vacation requests, or both plus a little of other angles too, your company ends up short. Let’s look at a few ways to prepare for the coming months in your company.
Set Deadlines for Requested Time Off
Summer is the time most people choose to travel. The weather is warm, kids are out of school, and most destinations are in their prime of beauty for the year. It does leave you in a lurch, however, when multiple employees want to vacation all at the same time. Avoid this by setting time deadlines for requested time off. For specific days and weeks, this may need to be a first-come-first-serve situation so that you can adjust when those staffing gaps occur.
- Create a Calendar
Once you have set a deadline for requested vacation time, create a calendar that lays out all the planned vacation absences. Highlight the days/weeks you will need to hire temps for staffing support. If you permit your staff to switch days and times with one another, giving your employees access to see the calendar as well would enable them to change those days on their own.
- Map Out Last Summer’s Revenue
Begin looking back at the revenue and data from last summer. It is not a review to chart out and check every single transaction. Instead, you should check for fluctuating times of activity, payroll activity, unexpected costs and profits, and possible deficit spending. Compare the data from last year to the previous year’s data. Is there a trend that you see reoccurring? Getting a general idea of how past summers went will help to prepare for this summer better, and let you know what times of the season you may need to change up the team’s numbers
- Cross-train Your Staff
While we could talk for a whole blog post and a 12 oz. Americano about cross-training, it is, at its purest form, merely training up different employees to do different jobs within the company. It allows so much more flexibility in scheduling. It won’t matter as much when Employee A is out of town for two weeks if Employee B is fully competent and ready to be responsible for A’s task list.
- Hire Seasonal Help
Vacations or no vacations, if summer is your peak season, you may need to look at hiring seasonal workers. Now is the time to start the hiring process, ideally wrapping it all up by the end of May. Be very clear and direct in your job descriptions and needed hours. Confirm that the candidates understand their role is seasonal to avoid any false expectations on their part. And it may seem like a given but make sure that you are up to par with your state’s regulations regarding temporary workers. (i.e., minimum wage, pay, and labor regulations for young adults (14-17) as well as the requirements for providing health insurance.)
- Hire a Staffing Agency
(Ahem – that’s us.) There are so many reasons to let us help you out. A staffing company can save you time, money, and hassle. We have a vast network of candidates who are looking for temporary, seasonal work and may be just right for you. Let us know what you are looking for, and we can help you find it!
Here at, ERG Staffing, we seek to serve both clients and candidates, focusing on creating mutually beneficial connections. When you partner with us, you are getting over three decades of experience and dependable service. Whatever you need, whether it is temporary assignments, temp-to-perm, on-site services, payrolling employees, or direct hire, ERG Staffing offers flexible partnership models to meet your unique needs. We take care of the headaches of recruiting and hiring, so you can focus on your business. Contact us today.