Seasonal Planning 101
Summer is just around the corner and the busy season means hectic schedules and a heavy reliance on manpower. Avoid the knee-jerk reactions of hiring for winter and summer, and learn the best time to hire with these three tips.
- Know your numbers. A quick review of your books from previous busy seasons will show you what you can project for this current year, so begin with that as a good starting point. From there, make a low, medium, and high estimation of the amount of staff hours you'll spend during the summer and winter, and get an idea of how many new employees you'll need to accommodate the extra hours outside of your regular staff.
- Prep your budget. New hires mean bigger payroll and more management man-hours. Begin prepping your budget today for new hires, bigger staff, and extra overhead costs.
- Hire now. How long does it take to train an employee? Get him or her accustomed to the company policies? How about ordering time for their uniform? These are all things that go into expanding your team, even if for just a seasonal influx. Hire as far as 90 days before your busy seasons to ensure your new hires are prepped, dressed, and ready to make you money on day one.
Don't get caught scrambling at the last minute for extra help during the busy season - a little planning today makes for a stress-free and successful tomorrow.
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