As summer approaches, businesses across Canada are gearing up for their busiest months. For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMBs), this means ramping up their workforce with seasonal hires. However, hiring and onboarding temporary staff can be daunting, especially for companies with limited HR resources.
Early Planning and Streamlined Recruitment
The key to successful seasonal hiring lies in early preparation. According to recent data, 76% of hourly workers plan to leave their jobs within a year, making the competition for quality seasonal employees fiercer. HR teams should start their recruitment efforts before the peak season to stay ahead of the curve.
Jimmy Plante, CEO of Folks, a Canadian HR software company, emphasizes the importance of streamlining the hiring process. “Our Applicant Tracking System is designed to optimize recruitment by making it more user-friendly and efficient. For SMBs, every hour saved in administrative tasks is an hour that can be reinvested in growing the business.”
Folks’ ATS allows companies to automate candidate sourcing, pre-screening, and engagement, significantly reducing the time-to-hire for seasonal positions. This efficiency is crucial, as studies show that top candidates are often off the market within 10 days.
Effective Onboarding: The Key to Seasonal Success
Once seasonal hires are secured, the next challenge is onboarding them quickly and effectively. A well-structured onboarding process is essential for integrating seasonal employees and ensuring they can contribute productively from day one.
“Our onboarding software allows businesses to define actions, assign tasks, and set deadlines with automated reminders,” Jeff Pelletier explains. “This ensures that all necessary steps are completed on time, from paperwork to training sessions.”
The importance of a smooth onboarding process cannot be overstated. Research indicates that organizations with an intense onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
With Folks’ comprehensive HRIS, which includes more than 30 Core HR modules, SMBs can streamline everything from hiring and onboarding to performance reviews. This integrated approach allows HR teams to easily and consistently manage the entire employee lifecycle.
Taking Advantage of Technology for Ongoing Management
Managing seasonal workers effectively goes beyond hiring and onboarding. It requires ongoing attention to scheduling, performance management, and employee engagement.
Jimmy Plante highlights the importance of flexibility in managing seasonal staff. “Our time management features allow for easy tracking of hours worked and streamlined approval of time-off requests,” he says. “This flexibility is much-needed by seasonal workers who often juggle multiple commitments.”
Folks’ performance management tools enable companies to set clear expectations and provide timely feedback, even for short-term employees. This approach greatly impacts productivity and retention. A 2022 survey by Gallup shows that employees who receive regular feedback are 3.6 times more likely to be engaged and motivated in their work.
How Folks Is Simplifying Seasonal Workforce Challenges
As businesses prepare for the summer rush, the right HR technology can make all the difference. Folks’ user-friendly tools, tailored for SMBs, are helping Canadian companies level the playing field. Automating tedious tasks and streamlining hiring and onboarding lets businesses focus on what matters most.
With over 1,200 clients across Canada and a recent $4.5 million CAD financing round, Folks is becoming the solution for SMBs looking to optimize HR operations. Whether tracking seasonal hours, managing requests, or keeping new hires productive from day one, Folks delivers practical, scalable tools that work.
For SMBs facing the challenges of seasonal staffing, the message is clear: start early, streamline the processes, and use the right tools to their advantage. Managing seasonal hires can shift from a recurring headache to a strategic strength for SMBs who have learned to make the most of platforms and tools like Folks.
