We all know how demanding the peak of the business season can be, be it for moving companies or any other business. After all, there are so many things you need to take care of but so little time to do it all. So, what is the smart move in such trying times? From the extensive experience of Movers Development, we found that hiring seasonal movers can help you a lot. In fact, it’s the best solution for embracing the busy spring/summer season without wasting too many resources. However, there are certain challenges that arise during this process as well. So, we decided to provide you with some guidelines on how best to conduct your seasonal hiring.
8 useful tips for hiring seasonal movers without complications
Once the chaos of the moving season starts, both you and your moving crews have to be prepared. This means that you can’t have Human Resources slowing your business down due to the technicalities of hiring, training, and motivation of new employees. Instead, you need to make sure that everything is a GO for the moving season. And the good thing is that we have here 8 highly-efficient tips to help you prepare a productive seasonal workforce of moving experts:
#1: The sooner you start, the better
In sports, every team wants the option of having the first pick of the draft. Not only does it give you the best choice of potential players but it also gives you a head-start over your competitors. And this can also apply to the moving industry. The best time to start your mission of hiring seasonal movers is before anyone else starts looking. So, make sure to start your hiring process a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.
#2: Don’t be afraid to widen your search parameters
Instead of relying on headhunters and professional HR agencies, be a little creative. Consider channels that fit your profile of the ideal seasonal mover – college campuses, gyms, regional employment centers etc. There are also other pools you can turn to, such as Craigslist and VFW offices. All these are much more efficient in terms of saving time and money. But you should nonetheless stay cautious about when and where you hire seasonal workers to save money in the long term.
#3: It’s always a good idea to ask for referrals
People socialize outside of work, and there are always those that have someone they can recommend. It might be a close friend or family member in need of a seasonal gig. This is actually a great way to hire seasonal help, because:
- you get someone your employees know and trust, so you don’t have to worry about teamwork,
- this way, hiring seasonal movers comes with no search expenses (expect a little bonus referral incentive perhaps), and
- you can rely on your moving crews to handle the insight and training before the work even starts.
#4: Hiring new movers should be a constant process
As your moving business expands, you should always have potential new hires in mind. Plus, if you accept applications all year-round, you can have your pick of premium workers. Some might look to cross over from a competitive company while others might be available due to their own relocation. So, whenever someone asks whether you are hiring, your response should always be positive. It might also help if you add a “Movers Needed” sign on your trucks and website.
#5: Training is a valuable part of hiring seasonal movers
Too often do modern businesses consider their workforce as expandable. As a result, you often end up with unmotivated workers that won’t go the extra mile for the sake of the company. Instead, when hiring seasonal movers, you should demonstrate to them how glad you are to have them in your team. Invest time in their training to ensure the safety of the valuable belongings that they will handle and the overall satisfaction of your clients. It might take time and money, but investing in extra training pays out in the long run, by reducing operational costs and error ratio. Here are some ideas that you might find useful:
- Plan and organize a quarterly training schedule. A couple of hours a week will be more than enough.
- Take time with the transition from seasonal to full-time movers.
- Always pair fresh movers with the most experienced ones to balance out the efficiency and quality of your teams.
#6: Teamwork is very important when you accept new movers
Being the “new guy” never comes easy – in fact, it can be awkward and uncomfortable. So, you have to make sure that the entire team is on the same page and willing to help out the new recruits. The sooner everyone is in unison, the better your day-to-day operations will work.
A good idea for this is a team meeting to welcome new team members and introduce them to the rest. Be welcoming and encourage returning staff members to do the same. There are plenty of ways to nurture a good team atmosphere, so you can use that to your advantage.
#7: Be sure to clarify what is expected from your seasonal movers
Goals and expectations are useful tools for any company. They not only make clear what you have to accomplish as a company, but they also motivate individuals within the moving company to give their all. And there are two ways to make this clear for everyone:
- Ensure that everything is documented – that the job description is structured, updated, and precise. Nobody is really sure what their job entails in the beginning.
- Create a shared file that contains all information relevant to your daily operations. This entails customer expectations, company core values, weekend work requirements, uniforms, etc. This is something you should go over during the first meeting.
#8: Think about the bigger picture as you plan for the future
Staff members may have different expectations of how long they will be working for your company. So, depending on seasonality, performance, and personal work ethics – you need to consider which ones fit best into what your company stands for. Help them improve and work on themselves by providing them with honest and productive feedback. Input like whether or not they can expect a call back once the season is over or which of their work habits need improvement can go a long way to building a long relationship with them for future undertakings.
Ready for hiring seasonal movers?
It is our hope that you find the tips and guidelines we offered useful and productive. The moving industry is one where you can never acquire enough knowledge and expertise. This is why we always try to follow as well as share moving industry news as best we can. But there are always things we can learn more about, so feel free to go through some of our other articles, as well as offer your own feedback.
