Hiring Seasonal Employees to Stay Ahead of Peak Season

Whether you’re hectic during the ski season or spend summers rushed off your feet, we know how challenging it can be to match hiring to seasonal peaks. Effective seasonal hiring takes savvy planning, a proactive approach, and up-to-date knowledge of UK employment legislation. For busy employers or HR leaders, it’s a lot to manage.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through:

• Common challenges during seasonal hiring
• How to navigate seasonal employment with ease
• Expert tips on recruiting and managing seasonal staff
• Compliance essentials, including employment contracts and holiday pay
• Practical tools to streamline your seasonal hiring process

Whether you’re hiring temporary workers for the holiday season or gearing up for summer tourism, planning early can make all the difference.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is current as at [insert date], and has been prepared by Employment Hero UK Ltd and its related bodies corporate (Employment Hero). The views expressed in this article are general information only, are provided in good faith to assist employers and their employees, and should not be relied on as professional advice. Some information is based on data supplied by third parties. While such data is believed to be accurate, it has not been independently verified and no warranties are given that it is complete, accurate, up to date or fit for the purpose for which it is required. Employment Hero does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracy in such data and is not liable for any loss or damages arising directly or indirectly as a result of reliance on, use of or inability to use any information provided in this article. You should undertake your own research and seek professional advice before making any decisions or relying on the information in this article. 

Navigating challenges in hiring for peak seasons

Quality of candidates

Hiring isn’t easy at the best of times, but finding reliable seasonal workers during busy hiring periods can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Whether you’re sourcing students, retirees, or those on working holiday visas, be ready to cast a wide net and explore non-traditional recruitment channels. Consider tapping into local networks or using automated tools to match temporary employees to your roles.

Demand during busy periods

If only we had a crystal ball. Forecasting the right number of seasonal staff is a tricky art that involves balancing anticipated customer demand, planned absences, and staff availability. Consider historic data and current trends to help predict when demand will spike. This foresight is vital in industries like hospitality, retail, tourism, and agriculture, where seasonal employment is common.

Employment contracts and legal requirements

Clearly define the terms

Every temporary worker or seasonal employee should receive a written employment contract before they begin. This must outline key terms such as the expected duration of employment, pay rates, holiday entitlement, notice periods, and health and safety procedures. Even if the worker is only employed for a few weeks, they are entitled to the same basic employment rights as permanent staff.

Holiday pay for seasonal workers

Holiday pay can be a confusing area when it comes to hiring seasonal or temporary employees. However, all workers in the UK, regardless of contract length, are entitled to statutory holiday pay. For casual or zero-hours workers, this is often calculated using the 12.07% method (12.07% of hours worked). Be clear about this from the outset to avoid disputes and ensure you’re compliant. 

Health and safety still applies

It can be easy to overlook health and safety responsibilities when bringing in seasonal staff, especially if they’re joining for short periods. But UK employers must ensure that temporary employees receive proper training and are familiar with any workplace risks or safety protocols.

Top tips for hiring employees for the peak season 

1. Search for talent in new ways 

For many casual or seasonal roles, potential talent won’t necessarily be found through Indeed. Advertise in local community groups or groups for those on working holidays, pop a sign up in your window and get the word out on social media.

Consider new avenues you haven’t tried yet, such as Employment Hero’s innovative hiring tool SmartMatch. SmartMatch automatically matches suitable candidates on the platform with roles in your business, so you’ve got a complete pipeline of ready talent that you can reach out to.

2. Plan staffing

Encourage your current team to be proactive about applying for leave over the busy season and understand what your minimum staffing requirements are so you can work around them. HR software like Employment Hero can also make things like shift swapping easy, as employees can swap, accept and decline shifts in the app, so that you as an employer can get ahead of potentially low-staffed days.

3. Nail the onboarding process 

To really excel at recruiting casual and fixed-term staff, it’s important to have an onboarding process that is both comprehensive and quick. That includes structured training programs, sufficient check-ins by the new employee’s manager and minimal paperwork so it doesn’t take the team member away from the job at hand.

4. Invest in your team’s happiness 

To ensure every employee has a positive impression of your business, take some time to investigate your current levels of employee engagement, as well as your workplace culture. Ensure that you’re doing your best to create a workplace that is supportive, fun and safe for everyone, and that you’re offering competitive employee benefits that put you above your rivals.

5. Lean on HR and payroll software 

Balancing employees on different contracts and hours can be a real challenge when it comes to HR and payroll. Make things a lot easier by investing in software that can take a lot of the tiresome admin out of the equation. Employment Hero is an HR and payroll software that comes with a host of handy features to help with all aspects of employment, so you can spend more time on the important stuff.

Retain and rehire: Build a reliable seasonal workforce

Just because a role is short-term doesn’t mean it should feel transactional. Building a strong employee experience will encourage top performers to return season after season. Some easy ways to facilitate this would be to offer flexible shifts and fair treatment, or to encourage feedback and recognise great work.

Download the guide to find easy ways to start building your talent pipeline.

Keep payroll and admin simple

Juggling different contracts, irregular hours, and fluctuating shifts can be overwhelming without the right tools. So you should always automate what you can.

Use HR and payroll software that helps with:

• Tracking hours worked
• Calculating holiday pay
• Managing shifts and swaps
• Issuing contracts digitally
• Staying compliant with changing legislation

Platforms like Employment Hero streamline the hiring process, automate admin tasks, and keep you compliant.

Whether you’re scaling up for the summer holidays or preparing for Christmas madness, smart, proactive planning makes hiring seasonal employees less stressful and more successful. By planning your recruitment process, contracts, and onboarding—and by investing in simple tools, you can build a seasonal workforce that’s as committed to your business as you are.

Retain and rehire: Build a reliable seasonal workforce

Just because a role is short-term doesn’t mean it should feel transactional. Building a strong employee experience will encourage top performers to return season after season. Some easy ways to facilitate this would be to offer flexible shifts and fair treatment, or to encourage feedback and recognise great work.

Retention also reduces training costs and shortens the learning curve in future peak periods. Keep in touch with your best performers even after their contract ends. Over time, this builds a reliable talent pipeline you can turn to before opening roles publicly.

Employment Hero makes attracting and retaining top talent easy. Use the all in one hub to create, post, manage, and onboard candidates without leaving the platform, SmartMatch to identify the perfect candidates and ATS  (applicant tracking system)  to effectively move candidates through the hiring process. 

But Employment Hero is more than just a hiring platform, our Employment Operating System takes the isolated elements of employment and integrates them into a seamless, human and AI-powered solution that empowers business leaders, HR professionals and employees alike. 

Download the guide.