The first day of fall marks the unofficial start of the holiday season. And every year, it seems that companies are starting their holiday promotions earlier and earlier. If you are responsible for recruitment at your organization, this also means that you may be gearing up for a seasonal hiring push—and all of the challenges that come with it.

“The war for talent extends beyond the boardroom,” says Jesse Siegal, Senior Vice President of The Execu|Search Group’s Temporary Staffing division. “With unemployment at historic lows and wages on the rise in some of the nation’s largest metropolises, employers—especially retailers—need to start getting creative when it comes to identifying and securing their temporary seasonal support.”

With seasonal hiring at a record high during the 2018 holiday season, the pressure to identify and secure talent for seasonal roles may feel even higher this year. So, how do you ensure you are prepared for this hiring surge and can make this holiday season a success for your company?

Don’t wait

If you haven’t already gotten a head start on seasonal hiring, now is the time to go full speed ahead! “Some of our top retail clients began preparing for the holiday as early as August,” says Jesse. “With unemployment hovering at a record low, they predicted that seasonal hiring was only going to be more competitive this year.” With demand high and supply low, the earlier you get started, the better chance you have of sourcing quality talent. Then once you identify them, you better move your hiring process along quickly to ensure you don’t lose them to a competitor who took less time to make a decision!

Partner with a staffing firm

Whether you are dealing with a high volume of roles or simply do not have the bandwidth to keep up with your seasonal hiring needs, partnering with a reputable staffing firm can help! With a pipeline of qualified candidates readily available to start, as well as other outreach resources at their disposal, your staffing partner can connect you with candidates quickly and efficiently. Read also: 5 Times An In-House Recruitment Team May Need To Partner With A Staffing Firm

Be flexible

In today’s job market, it may be difficult to find candidates who meet every single one of your requirements. While it’s important to ensure your seasonal employees can hit the ground running, keep an open mind about candidates who have the right personality fit for your organization. In addition, you should be flexible during negotiations and be open to different job title options, something that can be especially important to seasonal employees.

Invest in onboarding

To set your seasonal employees up for success, you should treat them just as you would a full-time hire. “This means that they should not only go through an effective onboarding program, but they should also have the same access to technology and resources that the rest of your employees do,” says Jesse. [eBook] The Employee Experience: Strategies For Each Stage Of The Employee Lifecycle

Stay in touch

Although seasonal hiring is temporary in nature, that doesn’t mean you should lose touch with these employees once their assignment ends. Not only can they be beneficial when you have another seasonal uptick in work, but they could also be great candidates for full-time roles later down the line!