May we be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas.

And no, we’ve not gone loopy from too much summertime sun and sangria.

In fact, all the evidence points to this being the absolute perfect time to commence your Christmas staffing strategy.

If you still need convincing, and if that C word is leaving you shuddering with panic, let us draw to your attention the fact that research indicates some 28% of Brits will actually have wrapped their Christmas shopping altogether by the end of September!

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 So why get so far ahead with your resource planning?

 What are the benefits to the employer who is out of the starting blocks three months before others are even planning their festive work-do?

 Well, there’s no getting away from the fact that finding great candidates requires more proactivity and creativity than ever.

 But preparedness is what really counts.

How to prepare for the November panic

 At Thrive, we know our phone will ring off the hook once the dark days of November set in, with managers seeking additional resource for their busy Christmas time trade.

Retailers, delivery companies and hospitality outfits will be among those eager to find the temporary workforce who’ll step in to keep the frenzied festive consumer well served.

But by then – it could be too late to get the pick of the bunch.

As this is always a period of students looking for extra cash over Christmas, and with the cost of living placing pressure on households to keep their incomes high enough to sustain a ‘generous’ visit from Santa, the more savvy role-seeker will want to get in there early and secure a Christmas time position.

Here's our top tips for using the next couple of weeks wisely in a bid to be Seasonally-Set….

1 – Review your previous festive season (or seasons) and use this to speculate your resource need, including all roles and ranks of opportunity

2 – Reflect on what new or revised positions might have been helpful last Christmas, and which you feel sure would add productivity and precision to this year’s output

3 – Identify a budget for your resource need, including what training costs may be incurred

4 – Work out your timeline for onboarding resource, allowing for advertising, interviewing and onboarding

5 – Be clear who in your existing team will be required to take on additional responsibilities of chaperoning, training or coaching new staff

6 – Prepare your communications team or responsible staff member, for featuring vacancies and opportunities within your existing social media or website channels

Don’t forget to consider the length of your recruitment process

Recruiting and onboarding is always something which requires extra effort and energy, so don’t waste the coming weeks delaying. This is not one gift which Father Christmas can drop your way just when you need it.

Indeed, as the old adage says – fail to prepare….prepare to fail!

 If you need help with festive season recruitment, please get in touch with the Thrive team today.

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