Why businesses should consider maintaining Christmas casuals

As labour shortages continue and the holiday season comes to a close, it’s time to think about how to keep high-performing Christmas employees.

In the past, the need for long-term employment for Christmas casuals was minimal due to limited permanent positions. However, times have changed, and maintaining the labour force is more important than ever. Employees who have exceeded expectations or even performed the role to a satisfactory level should be considered for a permanent position.

Hiring managers need to consider the benefits of Christmas casuals and look for ways to ensure they are satisfied in their workplaces. Here are my tips for maintaining your Christmas casuals throughout 2023.

Importance of upskilling

Upskilling your employees is important in order for them to develop stronger problem-solving abilities and enhance their productivity to perform better in their positions.

Throughout this season, Christmas casuals have developed skills that will be transferable throughout all seasons of the year. It’s important to continue this training to encourage continued growth and development for casual staff – in turn, creating a more favourable work environment.

Identifying talent and recognition

While it’s all well and good maintaining Christmas casuals, it’s important that we identify talented employees and recognise those that are worth keeping before offering them a permanent role.

There are tools that can help managers track the completion rates of training modules. This provides management with an indication of the employees who are motivated, qualified and show the intent of wanting to stay in the role and with the company.

Part of the brand

A key retention technique is ensuring employees feel embedded in the brand and organisation – open communication is important for achieving this.

There are platforms that allow for two-way communication between management and frontline employees all through a single platform. By ensuring employees feel recognised, managers can better gauge employee sentiments towards a permanent position.

Flexibility

Employees across the country want flexible working arrangements. This can be difficult for frontline employees, however, it can be as simple as the ability to work across multiple locations or fill shifts. Providing a digital and flexible shift experience not only gives employees the opportunity to pick up additional hours, it allows them the chance to work in closer proximity to their home.

The time invested in onboarding new employees and introducing them to your business can divert resources. Encouraging your Christmas casual employees to be hired on a permanent basis, or even to just remain on as a casual is a great idea if they’ve performed well throughout the festive season.

Christmas employees have been introduced to the people of your business, they understand the position and technology used. On top of that, they have dealt with customer hysteria during this busy period, which has set them up with the required skills and experience for a successful career in retail.

Operations and hiring managers should consider casual employees and the important role they play in reducing labour shortages throughout 2023.

Andrew Myers is managing director at WorkJam APAC.