The 34 Most Creative Seasonal Recruiting Hacks for 2018

Seasonal hiring is starting earlier than ever, in a candidate market that's more competitive than ever. So what can you do to differentiate your brand this holiday hiring season and stand out to top seasonal job applicants?

We've put together a list of the 34 most creative seasonal employee recruiting hacks we've seen so far this year to get you started. From ideas we've seen first-hand in Snag to customer suggestions in our Seasonal Hiring Workshop at HourMinds 2018, here's how other brands are planning to attract seasonal workers and staff up for peak holiday traffic.

Here are 34 new ideas for recruiting seasonal workers you'll want to try this holiday season:

1. Offering signing bonuses up to $1,500
2. Paying seasonal employees the same day they work
3. Offering weekly retention bonuses
4. Partnering with businesses who have seasonal summer employees they'll be letting go of (water parks, amusement parks, etc.)
5. Upping pay rates for weekends (and hard-to-fill shifts) during peak weeks
6. Targeting workers in different industries but similar roles...and offering to cross-train them
7. Hosting Facebook Live Events (applicant Q&As, showcasing employer brand, live interviews, etc.)
8. Bypassing ATS and application process altogether with recruiting chatbots
9. Running a re-engagement campaign to former part-time and seasonal employees
10. Hiring candidates on the spot (hiring events, phone screens, etc.)--completing paperwork, too
11. Adding a "day-in-the-life" overview to seasonal position job postings
12. Running a targeted recruitment campaign or hiring event in early August to jump competitors
13. Creating a free Snapchat Snapcode to appeal to Gen Z job seekers
14. Putting tablet devices in stores, so walk-ins can apply on site
15. Letting candidates self-schedule interviews--42% of employers say it's the most difficult part
16. Coordinating a National Hiring Day Event across all corporate/franchised locations
17. Standing up a recurring "Open Interview" day and time slot for in-store manager interviews
18. Targeting employees at stricter/zero-tolerance workplaces
19. Poaching workers from stores that are closing and marketing directly to them
20. Placing ads/announcements in school newspapers and newsletters
21. Spreading the word at local church youth groups, in weekly church bulletins, etc.
22. Setting up a booth at local school events...sporting events, dances, pep rallies, career days, etc.
23. Adding Text to Apply codes to receipts (+ window clings, weekly flyers, etc.)
24. Providing work-from-home flexibility for customer service-type roles
25. Running a photo/video competition with current workers to highlight your workplace/culture--bonus points for then using it on your careers site!
26. Removing assessment and/or background screenings to speed up hiring and reduce drop-off
27. Allowing seasonal employees to set their own schedules
28. Giving extra hours/shifts to existing workers first--seasonal employees want hours. More hours=more $$
29. Using seasonal keywords in job titles and details to easily differentiate them (e.g. holiday, seasonal, etc.)
30. Punching up the fun/personality in your seasonal posting descriptions
31. Sponsoring special after-hours events and outings for workers
32. Clearly calling out job term and hours in seasonal onboarding docs to avoid confusion and turnover
33. Getting in front of parents with students--they're thinking about where their child can find a job, too
34. Using on-demand workers to fill open/understaffed shifts

Start your 2018 seasonal hiring now.

The best seasonal recruiting strategy is an early one. The last few years, we've seen our own seasonal posting data on Snag trending more and more toward summer vs. mid-fall. But that's not the only reason to start early. On top of posting seasonal jobs sooner, it's also taking employers longer to fill those seasonal positions. Last year, employers reported it took them 14% longer to fill all of their seasonal job openings.

Need help finding seasonal workers?

You can also check out our Holiday Hiring Guide infographic with survey results from 3,000+ hourly seasonal employees and employers. It's full of seasonal recruiting insights that'll help you hone your 2018 seasonal recruiting strategy--from where seasonal workers search for jobs to the perks that'll make your company stand out over the next guy.