Customer Service
What to consider for a successful holiday hiring season
The seasonal rush presents a chance to deliver a robust experience and better retain employees. To achieve this organizations must acknowledge the challenges seasonal employees face, establish a comprehensive game plan and make employee satisfaction a goal instead of a byproduct.
December 19, 2023 by Mark Smith — Senior Vice President of Digital Experience, CSG
Last year, many retail companies embarked on hiring sprees to prepare for the holiday shopping season and deliver positive customer experiences during this stressful time. Amazon hired 150,000 employees, and Macy's and UPS hired over 40,000 and 100,000 workers, respectively.
Now, in the 2023 holiday season, organizations are gearing up for another round of mass hiring, aiming to meet customer demands and create a blueprint for guiding their employees through this demanding period.
As organizations prepare for the upcoming holiday shopping season, they have a unique opportunity to prioritize employee satisfaction. Research from Gallup demonstrates that organizations with satisfied employees report 147% higher earnings than their competitors. Another survey reveals that happy employees are 13% more productive, and happy salespeople exhibit a 37% uptick in sales.
The seasonal rush presents a chance to deliver a robust experience and better retain employees during the busy and stressful time of the holidays. To achieve this, however, organizations must acknowledge the challenges seasonal employees face, establish a comprehensive game plan and make employee satisfaction a goal instead of a byproduct. It's up to the organizations themselves to survey the landscape and adequately prepare their employees for a successful season.
Surveying the land
When creating a roadmap, you first need to survey the terrain and identify any obstacles you may face on your journey. With the stress of the holiday shopping season, handling the immense work volume is the first major hurdle that comes to mind. Last year, holiday shoppers in the US alone spent a record $212 billion on online purchases. Like in-person shopping, the increasing online shopping volume also calls for more seasonal employees to handle tasks like processing the orders, shipping and addressing customer inquiries.
However, the challenges go beyond sheer volume. In a survey, 88% of employees said the holiday season is the most stressful time of the year, with 77% of respondents finding it difficult to unwind during this period. Employers must remain attuned to external pressures and stressors employees may face during the holidays as it's not always possible for employees to leave everything at the door when they come to work. As an employer, it's your responsibility to tackle these challenges head on and help your employees navigate this hectic period successfully. This way, even if everything else about the holiday season remains chaotic or stressful, your employees will have the assurance of a well-structured plan.
Planning your route
After surveying the terrain, it's time to plan your route. When it comes to employee experiences, your organization's ability to map out seamless employee journeys and provide adequate support could be the difference between success and failure. One issue that seasonal hires often face is a shorter training or onboarding period compared to regular hires. As seasonal hires have a limited work tenure, many organizations don't see the value in a full-length training period. While this approach may seem sensible at first, and saves time and money short-term, it can lead to frustrated workers who may not feel fully equipped to handle an already stressful season — this stressed attitude will almost certainly then be passed on to customers. However, there are alternatives to traditional up-front training, and organizations should explore flexible solutions that work best for specific needs.
For instance, organizations could choose a journey that has a shorter up-front training period but offers continuous on-the-job training for employees, ensuring they always have access to resources. Organizations should also consider the days they expect to be exceptionally busy, such as Black Friday or Christmas Eve, and implement journeys to provide additional training to prepare specifically for those days. Additionally, organizations should leverage employee journeys to prioritize employee well-being. This can involve the implementation of mental health programs, appreciation initiatives for employees or regular surveys of employees to monitor stress levels. Not only will this enhance employee effectiveness throughout the season but also solve the issue of retention, which is a crucial concern for organizations desperate to retain employees for the duration of the season rather than starting over halfway through.
A successful journey
When these steps are taken — surveying potential challenges, determining the most suitable employee journeys and putting them into practice — you'll have employees who are well-prepared to navigate the challenging demands of the busy holiday shopping season. Well-prepared, employees can provide better services to customers, resulting in improved experiences and increased profits. Ultimately, the data doesn't lie; happier employees directly translate into happier customers.
To achieve success, organizations must make employee satisfaction a top priority, especially during the holiday shopping season. This not only enhances customer experiences, boosts productivity and drives up earnings but is also an investment that cannot be ignored in the long run.
About Mark Smith
