Difficulties Facing Retail Stores When Hiring For The Holidays

The temperatures are dropping, the sweaters are out, and holiday cheer begins to fill the air. A great time of year for family, friends, and of course retail. In addition to egg nog and mistletoe, the deals available are not to be missed. But with the increase in sales, mall traffic, and general loosening of the purse strings, there needs to be an increase in manpower. Here is where retail finds its first speed of the season – holiday hiring.

To meet the massive demands placed on the retail market during the holiday season, many companies hire seasonal workers to fill the gaps created by additional hours of operation, the need for extra hands, and to maximize profits. Sure, it sounds easy enough to fill positions. The daily news constantly reminds us of unemployment rates and the need for work. But there are many hurdles that come along with seasonal hiring that present big challenges for retail stores. Thinking of hiring or applying? Consider the bigger picture.

Hiring Pool Options are Slim

Although it seems as if there is always an influx of employed workers searching for their next position, holiday hiring doesn’t necessarily guarantee a spot. There are many factors that come into play. Availability, age, requirements met, skill sets, and so forth need to be considered for retail jobs. Given a large number of positions to be filled, the number of applicants may not be enough to fill so many spots. In addition to the vetting process, seasonal work doesn’t necessarily appeal to all workers. Without the promise of long-term employment, many candidates are uninterested in temporary work.

Seasonal Employment Equals Seasonal Focus

Knowing that employment is only for a limited amount of time can easily cause a shift in focus and dedication. Temporary work oftentimes equals temporary effort. When hiring for the holidays, retailers are faced with potentially hiring employees that are only in it for the short run. With little incentive to go above and beyond for such a short amount of time, dealing with lackluster work ethic is a large problem. Workers can easily fall into the mentality of riding out the season only to collect a paycheck for doing the bare minimum.

Training Time Cut Short

The holiday season is a small window in the scope of an entire year. With extra work to be done, the few months that make up this season are packed with productivity. But a shortened amount of time to find, process, and hire workers means that other areas suffer – training being one of them. Where it usually takes employee weeks or months to become fully integrated into the ways of their employer, it must be done in a short time frame. Cutting corners on the amount of time spent properly training and educating employees on how to perform to the best of their abilities can end up costing the retailer in the end.

Higher Wages Harder to Pay

As the minimum wage continues to slowly rise, cheap labor becomes a fleeting idea. Where once retailers were able to pay low wages for seasonal positions, jobs today are not filled as quickly at the pay they wish to offer. Employees today demand more. Retailers are forced to choose between hiring at a higher pay rate or not bringing in the extra help at all.