Does your business’ success count on experienced employees coming back year-after-year to assist during your busiest season? If so, you may already know that the key to building a loyal seasonal workforce is ensuring temporary employees know you value them. My experience with employees who return year-after-year is that they come back for several reasons – they find the work enjoyable, they find comfort in seeing the same friendly faces and feel good about being able to step right in, without training, to start contributing. It’s also a convenient and reliable way for them to earn money.
The more you maximize your seasonal employee/employer relationships the quicker you will be able to get your seasonal workforce up to speed, saving you time and money. And if done right, making you money. The following outlines several tips on how to build a reliable, temporary workforce:
- Create a log or spreadsheet with information on each employee that includes when they are available to work throughout the year.
- Make sure you send them a “thank you” note after they leave their recent stint of working for you and remember to encourage them to touch base to let you know when they will be available again.
- Utilize their experience by matching them up with someone who is new to the team. It will help you train others and show the seasonal employee that you value their performance and skills.
- Contact them at least 30 days before you need them again and inquire about their availability and start date preference.
Most importantly, don’t take seasonal employees for granted. It is important for employers to recognize the value of a returning employee. The cost savings alone is reason enough to put the effort into maintaining relationships that bring these folks back time after time. And it allows seasonal employees to create a bond with the company and other employees, which generally equates to a stronger, more effective team.
