According to the Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey: Fourth Quarter 2023 from the National Association of Manufacturers, 71% of respondents reported the inability to attract and retain employees was their primary challenge. This problem was especially impactful during the holiday surge.
Preparing for the holiday surge requires strategic staffing solutions. For instance, food and beverage manufacturers require adaptable labor scheduling and management to handle unpredictable consumer demand. Also, manufacturing and logistics labor shortages require proactive planning and flexible scheduling to ensure operational continuity.
Handling seasonal peaks in the manufacturing and logistics industries strengthens business operations and output. Leveraging data and predictive analytics helps accurately forecast and prepare for seasonal trends, strengthen the resilience and responsiveness of their supply chains, and maintain internal workflows.
Learn how to prepare for the holiday surge with strategic staffing solutions.
How Strategic Staffing Solutions Help with the Holiday Surge
Strategic staffing solutions include adding temporary and temporary-to-hire workers to your workforce to provide support during peak productivity. These workers help out for a set amount of time based on your business needs before moving on to other assignments.
Benefits of Strategic Staffing Solutions for Seasonal Peaks
Implementing strategic staffing solutions to prepare for seasonal peaks provides many benefits:
- Flexibility: Quickly adjust your staffing levels to align with changing labor demands.
- Productivity: Temporary workers carry out additional tasks while your employees handle core responsibilities.
- Budget control: Paying for labor only when needed frees up money for other business needs.
- Cost-effectiveness: The staffing agency is responsible for temporary workers’ benefits, payroll, taxes, worker’s compensation claims, unemployment claims, and related expenses.
Guidelines to Implement Strategic Staffing Solutions for Seasonal Peaks
Follow these guidelines to forecast your staffing needs and prepare for the holiday surge:
Anticipate your holiday staffing demand
Take the following steps to anticipate your holiday staffing demand:
- Analyze previous years’ data to uncover staffing trends and patterns.
- Assess the current economic indicators and market conditions to gain insights into the seasonal worker demand.
- Determine your peak business time, open roles, number of temporary or temporary-to-hire workers needed, and relevant skills and qualifications.
Consider your budget
Create a budget that includes the following:
- Hourly wage or salary for each temporary or temporary-to-hire worker
- Length of temporary employment contracts
- Onboarding and training costs
Work with a staffing agency
Partner with a local staffing agency that specializes in your industry. The agency can provide temporary or temporary-to-hire workers while you focus on core business operations.
Onboard and train temporary workers
Clarify your goals, expectations, rules, and guidelines while onboarding temporary or temporary-to-hire workers. These activities provide a purpose and sense of direction.
Train temporary or temporary-to-hire workers to ensure they can fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Include your company’s policies, standards, and procedures so the workers understand your behavioral expectations.
Monitor and track temporary workers’ performance
Ensure temporary and temporary-to-hire workers arrive on time, perform their best, reach targets, and complete their shifts. Address any issues as they occur to minimize impact.
Partner with Impact Staffing
Let Impact Staffing get to work finding temporary and temp-to-hire solutions to meet your fluctuating manufacturing or logistics labor demands. Contact us to start the process today.
