We understand the importance of recruiting seasonal temporary staff and the need to get it right first time in order to secure the best candidates. To support you with this, we asked our friend Laura Moughton at Sparkle HR to share her tips for a successful seasonal recruitment campaign
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Well, can you believe that it is the time of year again when lots of businesses are recruiting for Christmas seasonal staff? I know I can’t! Speaking from my own experience, I can say recruiting in the retail industry at this time of year is becoming more and more challenging. Christmas is coming later, and by that, I mean that shoppers are not starting to spend in stores as early as they once did. The impact for recruitment means that contracts required are typically shorter than they used to be and that can be a huge factor to an applicant accepting an offer or not. Competition for the best candidates is tough. Of course, this is not just applicable in the retail industry. Candidates are making decisions based on practical things such as pay, length of contract, the number of hours available, the flexibility provided and the chance of securing something more permanently after. However, they also will make decisions based on the candidate experience, the application process, the assessment/interview process and the reputation of the business. In reality, if you fall down on any of these things you will most likely miss that fabulous applicant to another business that did better than you! So, presuming you get all of that right, here are my top tips for you as an employer to ensure you are compliant in your processes.
Tip #1
My first top tip for recruiting any role is to think about the wording in your advert. You should advertise without discriminating in any way. The same goes for selecting who you offer to of course. Both of these things should be done without discrimination. It is always sensible (and best practice) to ensure the line managers completing recruitment are aware of unconscious bias and how to ensure this does not influence decisions being made.
Tip #2
A fixed term contract is one that will terminate on a specified date or on completion of a particular task. When recruiting someone on a fixed term contract you have the responsibility for ensuring they are not treated less favourably than a permanent employee, unless you can show there is good business reason to do so.
Tip #3
This includes offering the same pay and conditions, the same or equivalent benefits package, information about permanent vacancies in the organisation and protection against redundancy or dismissal.
Tip #4
If you have people in your organisation on fixed term contracts that last over a year they have added rights and it is important that you aware of these in advance.
Tip #5
If you have any permanent positions in the organisation all employees both fixed term and permanent should have the ability to know about these, apply should they wish and be considered for the role without discrimination.
Tip #6
Fixed term contracts will usually end automatically on the agreed end date, the employer does not have to give any notice.
Tip #7
If you would like to end a fixed term contract early you should check if anything is mentioned in the terms of the contract offered, if not, you could be in breach of your contract. It can be ended early if you have given proper notice and there is reference to this in the terms of offer. If a fixed term employee has worked for you continuously for one month or more they have the right to a minimum of one weeks’ notice period.
Tip #8
If an employee works longer than the contract end date without this being formally reviewed there is an implied agreement by the employer that the end date has changed and the employer still needs to give proper notice to close the contract.
It can all seem daunting and process heavy but if you follow these guidelines you will not go wrong. As a credible employer, you will want to treat people fairly and that is all an employee is looking for too. If you are unsure of anything you can get advice from GOV.UK or ACAS. Both of which are useful resources for employers and employees alike.
Have a great Christmas when you get there, I hope you find the best employees to suit your needs and they contribute to delivering success for you at a critical time.
“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers” Stephen R Covey
Laura Moughton