10 Steps to the successful onboarding of seasonal staff

These 10 steps are crucial when onboarding your seasonal staff.

Remember that, while they may not be with you for very long, your seasonal staff have the power to contribute a great deal to your business and should be welcomed and treated exactly like any of your permanent employees.

1. Focus on the key roles and responsibilities

It can be a race against the clock to get your seasonal staff up to speed before things get hectic.  Take the pressure off by giving them a limited number of tasks to perform while they are with you. 

You will expect your full-time team to be able to switch between roles, for example, tendering the bar to serving food to making bookings without a hitch.  It is unfair to expect your seasonal team to build that level of confidence and flexibility, especially when it is your most hectic time of the year. 

If you keep your seasonal staff focused on a handful of specific tasks, they will feel less overwhelmed when it does get busy and you can spend more time on ensuring they are working to the standard you expect. 

2. Start them early

Many employers start their seasonal staff right on the cusp of the busy season as they save money on wages.  By doing this you are limiting your new staff member’s exposure to the business and really throwing them in the deep end to sink or swim!   You might not need that extra support six weeks before Christmas but starting your seasonal staff early will give them chance to find their feet and give you the confidence that they can be relied upon to be your brand ambassador. 

It might be they can do less shifts in the first couple of weeks, but getting them trained early is key. 

3. Buddies

Give your new staff member a ‘buddy’, it will help them learn the ropes quicker and help them integrate in your bigger team and be more engaged.  They will still need a structured induction but it will give them a positive role model and someone to turn to. 

4. Don’t cut corners

The new team members may be seasonal but they still need a structured induction that includes health and safety training, issuing of your staff handbook etc.  This paperwork protects them but also you.  The last thing you need is to land in hot water over a small oversight involving a member of staff that was only with you for a short period of time. 

5. Your culture

This post might be temporary but it is crucial your new team member understands your core values.  Tell them what you expect of them, what impact they will have on your customers.  It’s likely your customers will not know which of your team are seasonal and which are permanent, but they will expect them all to be of the exact high standard.  You have one chance to impress that customer and you need to get it right. 

6. Make them feel welcome

They know they won’t be with you forever unless you have identified the possibility of employment opportunities in the New Year for your higher performers (don’t over-promise).  They need to feel like part of your team.  Introduce them to the wider team, involve them in team meetings, events or parties. This may be seasonal work but if you treat them right, they may want to come back next year. 

7. Rota

If you can plan and share the rota early, do it!  It then gives you extra time to tweak it and deal with a last-minute request for shift swaps.  They can then plan their personal life around it.  This in turn should lead to fewer missed shifts or instances of staff turning up late.  Communication is crucial – do they know how you will communicate any changes and what they need to do if they have a query. 

8. Your reputation and happy customers

This part of your team may be with you for a short period of time but the impact they can have on your future business can be huge.  If you get the steps above right, your customers are more likely to be happy and come back and recommend you to others.  Also when you advertise next year or in the summer for seasonal staff these staff members may want to come back (less training for you) and may also recommend you to others. 

9. Regular Check-ins

These do not have to be long check-ins but are really important to see how they are getting on and if there are any gaps, what support an be given. 

10. Payroll

It is crucial for the new staff member to know when they will get paid as it is likely to be a huge motivator for this temporary role.  If they can get a payment before Christmas it would really be ideal. 

If you follow these steps plus a comprehensive checklist that covers onboarding before they start, through to their first day, week and month with you, you shouldn’t miss a thing.