The number of part-time workers under the age of 30 in the UK has increased 11% over the past five years according to the Office of National Statistics. That number is indicative of a younger hiring trend within the hospitality and tourism sector where the demand for part-time workers is continuously increasing. The two trends we are seeing in the Hospitality industry are an increased demand for part-time workers/ summer staff and an increase in the hiring of younger people.
Here are a few tips to help make your summer hires the superstars we know they really are.
Introduce yourself
If your summer hires are going to be wearing your company uniform and representing you to the public then they should know what you stand for, right? Teaching your temporary employees about both company’s values, and mission on this earth, is one of the most important things you can do before they even start work. It is critical that all your workers are singing off the same hymn sheet, as this will improve the customer relations process and help promote and sell your product.
Build an army
Part-time staff can often feel like they have just been parachuted into a workforce and do not have the same standing as the full-time staff. This reality can create a disconnection between your full-time and part-time staff that serves neither of them. It is important to deal proactively with this danger and make every effort to integrate temporary workers. Creating a buddy system is one way to promote integration between workers and also help new staff to learn more quickly. There are many ways to build team spirit for the season- like throwing a party for instance, it will allow people to get to know each other, and maybe even improve the office party climate. Whichever way you decide to go, what we hear from our clients every year is that giving positive feedback and showing new hires how they are adding to the team effort are essential if you are to get the best out of the season.
Set Milestones
It is so important that you set milestones for your part-time employees because, guess what, they don’t know what you want them to achieve. A three month employment might seem like a short time to you but motivation can wane quickly for seasonal staff so make sure you check back on these goals regularly. Also, outline clearly the management structure for new hires, particularly the line manager who the new hire should report to. We may not like to admit it but all of us like to work in a structured environment where we know who is in charge and what the limits of our influence are. Make this clear from the start and you will see new hires achieve their milestones more easily.
See the Opportunities
Hiring a summer staff can be viewed as a necessary body filling a role for a short space of time or, as we find with our most successful companies, it can be viewed as a way to find the best people for more developed roles. The girl working the till this summer might well be your next Chief Financial Officer so always be conscious of presenting your company well to these staff and spotting talent when you see it. Offer your staff a way to climb the ladder within your organisation if you think they might be a good fit. In hospitality and tourism, there are ample positions that summer hires might ultimately fill and this way of looking at it can cut out many of the costly interviewing and hiring processes that might otherwise be required.
Understand Mental Health
91 million days a year are lost due to mental ill-health in the UK, according to the Mental Health Foundation and nearly 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem in any one year, this number may increase substantially considering the demographic profile of your workers.
With this in mind, looking out for the signs that your summer staff may be struggling with issues is essential if you are to avoid misunderstanding and lost productivity. Remember that your organisation can have a positive impact on the life of a worker with a health issue like this. If your worker seems distracted or distant, maybe ask them if they need to talk and be understanding, nobody in this world is perfect. Ensure all your managers are aware of the issue and are looking out for these signs so they can help the staff member or refer the issue on.
Let us help you train and register summer staff Efficiently and Effectively. Take a look at our 60 seconds video for more information or Try a Free Demo Today.
