With the World Cup just around the corner and the festive season right on its tail, how can service sector employers gear up for the seasonal boom? ⚽🎄

It’s been a lively summer and it’s about to be an even livelier winter. Taking up approximately 7% of the UK’s workforce (Financial Times) , the catering and hospitality sector is certainly popular. It’s safe to say that hospitality services are already in demand, and it is no surprise that during the festive season employers see an even greater need.

But with two huge events on the horizon this 2022, the World Cup and Christmas, predictions for this year are seeing record numbers.

According to an article by Morning Advertiser, the popular hospitality booking platform DesignMyNight has “claimed to have taken a record number of bookings to watch the men’s FIFA World Cup with more than 10,000 recorded searches, up 30% in the past month, for ‘hospitality venues hosting World Cup screenings’ five months ahead of the first match.”👀

A study from last year showed a large increase in job vacancies around the Christmas period, with the  biggest seasonal employers hiring for over 130,000 additional staff in Winter (HR News) – the majority of these being service sector businesses. This number is estimated to increase in post-pandemic 2022’s festive season as more businesses open their doors for Christmas.

So with these figures in mind, how can employers really prepare? Here we lay down some vital tips.💡

Invest in your marketing and make it fun!

At a crucial time when demand is high, it can be tough getting the right staff on board so pay extra attention to how you market yourself to potential candidates.

Often an employee’s most memorable times at work are during big events. In your recruitment efforts, keep this at the forefront of your mind. While important events such as Christmas or the World Cup are certainly busy, they can also be great fun.

So, be sure to start building the hype up across your job ads, your website and on your social media. The thought of working demanding shifts can be daunting, so make sure prospective employees know they’ll have fun while they’re at it. Shout about how you’ll get the music playing, the decorations up, and even plan a fun competition for staff. For example, you could offer a free bottle of wine for whoever generates the most sales, or you could have a staffroom mince pie tasting competition. Whatever you offer, it’s vital you promote it in your job descriptions with personality – fun job ads attract fun people!😎

Not only this, but creating an enjoyable atmosphere means many existing staff will want to work on these days for the following years. It’s a small detail that will make a huge difference to your business.

The time to start is now! Placed’s algorithm matches you with the best talent based on your ideal candidate, and can help you share your brand story.

Offer incentives to employees

One of the biggest challenges can be getting staff to work on days when most others won’t be. For example, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Start planning for these days and consider incentives such as increased pay for these shifts, holiday bonuses, freebies like free drinks or a gift voucher, or a weekend off of their choice. With incentives, you’re more likely to get staff to work on these days, as well as show them you value how they spend their time.

Widen your recruitment tactics

With huge events comes huge demand, so you’ll need more staff on the job than ever. The effects of Brexit and the pandemic have led to a loss of nearly 200,000 international workers since the end of 2019 (Financial Times), making it imperative for employers to prepare early this year.

As this season is going to be a particularly demanding one, why not consider branching out and exploring different recruitment platforms? Apps such as Placed that match you specifically with the ideal service sector workers are particularly effective at increasing your talent pool and saving you valuable time. You could also make use of social media, which is a great place to find students and the next generation of talent.🔥

Target the right audience

Because this is a temporary period of increased demand, it’s important to understand the types of candidates who will be looking for seasonal opportunities. Students and part-time workers are usually the best groups to engage in festive recruitment campaigns, so consider targeting your recruitment efforts primarily at these groups. You could reach out to student fairs or part-time recruitment platforms, and ensure your copy is suited to this audience. It never hurts to get specific! Advertise your seasonal vacancies as ideal student opportunities as this is much more likely to resonate.

Start recruiting early!

It may seem obvious, but with so much going on, it can be easy to leave recruitment to the last minute. The busiest period for the service sector begins in November and runs right through to January – so we suggest starting as early as September. So start putting listings out, generate material for your festive/World Cup marketing, and get the word out that you’re hiring now!🔔

Prepare for a high volume of applicants

Seasonal jobs tend to receive a lot of applicants. Not all of these will be the best fit, so make sure you or your team is prepared to screen the large number of applications coming in and respond to them in good time.

At Placed, we have specific data on how 76% of candidates who do not hear back from the employer within 72 hours of applying became disengaged. Meaning, if it takes you longer than 72 hours to respond to a candidate, you are unlikely to hear back from them! The Placed app displays all your applicants on one easy-to-read dashboard where you can quickly auto-respond to applicants and reduce drop off and disengaged candidates.🚀

Make sure you’ve nailed your specific criteria points, such as Is able to work evenings, Has customer service experience, and that these are communicated clearly by all hiring teams. This will not only make hiring smoother, but will ensure you onboard the best talent for your business at a time when it is really needed.