“Young people are unreliable”.
We hear this all the time from employers.
Seasonal staff leaving unexpectedly mid-season is a nightmare. It happens all the time and blaming “young people” is a defeatist attitude. This post helps employers minimise the chances of a dreaded mid seasonal leave, and examines the entire hiring procedure until the end of the season.
Finding good people.
If you hire someone via a recommendation, the chances of that employee lasting the season is a lot higher than an employee hired via social media. It takes about 30 seconds to respond to a Facebook ad and send in a CV. It’s essentially a very lazy way to advertise jobs and apply for them. Young seasonal workers will often apply to hundreds of Facebook ads and take the best offer. They may have shown up for onboarding / training, but if they get a better offer, MANY WILL TAKE IT leaving you in the lurch.
And of course the late you leave the hiring the lower the quality of candidate.
Check their visa status.
This is a no-brainer. If a candidate’s visa ends before the end of the season, they aren’t staying for the whole season. Are there any work restrictions on their visas that prevent them from working the whole season? The 88 Day qualification for a second work visa in Australia is a classic example. If someone needs to do their 88 Days by a specific date, they will leave mid-season to ensure they can extend their visa.
Set the expectations.
Employers need to take great care letting successful candidates know exactly what they can expect in terms of accommodation, pay, job descriptions, and free time. If someone leaves after a week of work, it’s because their expectation hasn’t matched the reality.
Onboarding.
Creating a good first impression and ensuring new employees settle in certainly helps build loyalty and improves retention. A good manager will “check in” with new staff regularly during the onboarding process. A happy new employee may actually bring their friends to your company.
Pay scale.
Seriously consider end-of-season bonuses as a financial incentive to retain staff. A lot of seasonal adventure workers will rely on their end-of-season bonus for travel expenses to their next gig.
Leaving well.
First impressions matter, and so too do last impressions. Have an end of season party to recognise the efforts of your team. If an employee leaves on good terms, they are much more likely to return next year or become and advocate for your company.
Keep in touch.
There’s nothing wrong with wishing past staff a happy birthday or Merry Christmas, or following each other on social media. Ongoing relationships can lead to new customers, staff, and opportunities. Young people are dynamic, and you never know what amazing things they will do. Remember that how you treat young people on the way up will impact how they treat you on the way down!!
Leaves beyond your control.
Family tragedies, injuries, and natural disasters do result in mid-season leaves. Be nice. It’s not about you, and young people can be very vulnerable if tragedy strikes. A bit of kindness and follow up welfare checks will go along way. A young person who leaves under unfortunate circumstances will seriously considering returning the following season. And they may bring a friend with them.
For more information about why employees leave. Check this “Quiet Quitting” article in the Harvard Business Review.
If this blog post has helped you out, please consider creating a free employee or employer profile on Matchmesh. We have shifted the database and jobs board to a new more user friendly platform.