According to one of Australia’s largest recruitment agencies, now is the time to start implementing your Christmas and summer staffing plan. As many businesses and industries begin to think about scaling down for the year, recruiters find themselves coming into the busiest annual period for the hospitality and retail sector in particular.
“Our message to the hospitality and retail sectors is don’t leave it too late to hire your seasonal staff, your team needs to be in place and ready to work proficiently and seamlessly when the holiday and Christmas shopping season really hits,” said Doug Downer, general manager of Frontline Recruitment Group.
According to Downer, the hiring period for the Christmas peak is mid-October to early/mid-November.
With the majority of Christmas retail staff working for an approximate period of four to six weeks, its casual staff employers need most.
Moreover, while there is always going to be a need to hire larger groups of employees for the festive season, it is also very important for larger companies to have a steady recruitment process in place to avoid upheaval around this time of year.
“We have seen examples of big companies that put a freeze on their recruitment during slower periods. Holes in staffing become obvious leading up to these busy periods and affect productivity when it is needed most,” said Downer.