Seasonal Hiring is Here: How Streamlined Hiring and Onboarding Processes are Helping Savvy Employers Excel
THE HOLIDAY SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, and with it comes a surge in consumer activity. Retailers, restaurants, delivery and security companies, and various other businesses are gearing up for increased sales and customer activity. To meet the heightened demand on businesses during this time of year, many employers turn to seasonal hiring to ensure they have adequate help in place.
While seasonal hiring is common, it presents unique challenges for employers. There’s a delicate balance between conducting essential pre-employment procedures, such as background checks and verifying previous job experience, with quickly onboarding employees to meet demand as efficiently as possible.
Increasing Speed-to-Hire
One of the most significant considerations seasonal employers have is how quickly they can get a seasonal employee to apply for the job, complete the hiring process and have the new hire begin working. Dave Kenney, General Manager of Efficient Hire, an Equifax company, and an expert on hourly workforce management, emphasizes the importance of engaging with hourly job seekers within 24 hours of initial contact.
Kenney stated, “In today’s extremely competitive job market, seasonal employers should be utilizing mobile-first and simplified engagement tools including texting to apply or to schedule interviews. All of which facilitate quick interactions between job seekers and location-based hiring managers.”
Streamlining Pre-Hire Processes
At the same time, seasonal employers have to balance this speed-to-hire requirement with a thorough pre-hire process that may include background checks. In some seasonal industries, like delivery companies or security firms, verifying this type of information is necessary to help protect the employer, their customers and other employees.
However, the temporary nature of seasonal employment may prompt some employers to question the necessity of background checks for short-term workers. That’s because traditional background screening processes sometimes require hours, days, or even longer - and waiting could mean losing candidates to other opportunities. However, employers can leverage newer, data-driven tools from Equifax that can help expedite the pre-hire process.
In instances where previous job experience must be verified, pre-hire employment verifications through The Work Number® provide credentialed verifiers, such as employers and background screeners, with instant access to verified employment history. This helps reduce the time to hire and enables more informed hiring decisions. When criminal background checks are necessary, Equifax offers a new solution called Smart Screen™ Plus - TalentCheck that can help move the process forward faster than ever, as well as solutions that help employers practice fair chance hiring and expand their candidate pools.
Efficient Onboarding
The onboarding process provides another opportunity for savvy employers to help get seasonal workers on the job quickly. New hires must navigate various forms, training, and processes to help ensure compliance and boost time-to-productivity. Equifax offers a suite of digital and automated onboarding tools, including I-9 HQ, Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) screening, state forms management, and W-4 management. These tools provide seasonal employers with a streamlined way to onboard their new hires.
With robust Equifax onboarding services for new hires, employers can start seasonal employees off on the right foot from day one. “Speed and efficiency are key for employers as they ramp up their staff for the holiday season. This includes anything that assists with a fast and easy hiring and onboarding experience,” said Kenney. “Employers should also keep in mind that their new hires could help them maximize their tax credits as well.”
Equifax: Your Partner for the Entire Employee Lifecycle
In today's labor market, every moment of the hiring process counts. With a suite of solutions designed to help deliver a more efficient hiring process, Equifax is helping employers achieve their seasonal hiring and onboarding goals.
For more information on Equifax workforce management solutions, including support for the entire employee lifecycle – pre-hire, onboarding, active employment and offboarding – visit Equifax Workforce Solutions.