4 tips for hiring seasonal employees

Aldor Delp

A peak in customer demand can be great for any business. But being staffed to meet that demand can be a key to success.

In the hospitality business, smartly expanding your workforce to meet seasonal demand is crucial. And you have a lot of competition when it comes to recruiting seasonal help: A recent snagajob survey found that hourly employers expect to hire the same number of workers, or slightly more, this summer compared to last year.

As restaurants prepare for the busy summer season, here are five tips to consider when hiring seasonal workers.

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1. Develop formal training and orientation programs. The snagajob survey found 66 percent of hourly employers plan to hire new workers for summer positions this year. Establishing an orientation process that gives new hires a full overview of their role and responsibilities can be critical to integrating them quickly into a high-performing team.

2. Complete the proper paperwork. During the summer, restaurant managers might be tempted to overlook essential hiring practices as they rush to bring on workers to keep up with demand. But restaurants must carefully manage all relevant employee reporting and documentation requirements for summer hires (e.g., W-4 and I-9 forms).

3. Review the rules for hiring minors. Because many summer hires are minors, restaurants must be aware of the federal and state rules for this group, which could impact the amount and type of work they’re allowed to perform. For instance, minors may have restrictions on hours worked and work permit requirements.

4. Understand employee classifications. Some employers may believe they can classify seasonal workers as independent contractors because of their temporary status. However, The Department of Labor views most workers as employees, and employers must satisfy specific federal and state tests to classify a worker as an independent contractor.

As the summer season heats up, restaurants can expect to welcome more guests. It is important for employers to understand and proactively address key workforce compliance issues as they fill crucial seasonal positions.

Aldor Delp is division v.p. and g.m. of resource & HR solutions, ADP.