Now that summer season is in full swing, you might be asking some questions about your seasonal hiring strategy. When the busy season hits, hiring managers and recruiters know the pressure is on. Whether it’s retail during the holidays, hospitality during summer, or logistics during back-to-school, seasonal hiring needs to be fast, flexible, and reliable. But achieving that year after year is not easy. Many employers lean heavily on the hope that last year’s seasonal workers will return. Others start from scratch each season, recruiting entirely new candidates and onboarding at scale. Both approaches come with significant downsides.

Relying solely on returning seasonal workers can be risky. Life circumstances change. Some workers move, others take new jobs, and a few may no longer be a fit. On the other hand, recruiting entirely new seasonal staff is costly, time-consuming, and often filled with unknowns about performance and reliability.

The solution? A hybrid strategy that combines the strengths of both returning and new seasonal talent. With the right planning, tools, and communication strategy, employers can build a flexible and scalable seasonal hiring approach that reduces costs, improves retention, and ensures peak season success.

Step 1: Keep Top Performers Engaged Year-Round

Your best seasonal employees are not just people who showed up. They were punctual, dependable, and contributed to a smooth peak season. Letting those workers fall off your radar after the season ends is a missed opportunity.

To build a seasonal talent strategy that scales, you need to maintain year-round engagement with your top performers. That doesn’t mean sending emails every month, but it does mean staying in touch in a meaningful way.

Consider these simple strategies:

• Post-season surveys to collect feedback and gauge interest in returning
• Exclusive email updates about future opportunities, company milestones, or internal referrals
• Recognition and appreciation campaigns to make past workers feel valued
  

Technology can make this easier. A modern talent CRM (candidate relationship management system) lets you tag high-performing seasonal workers and automate personalized check-ins. You can segment by job role, location, and performance rating to keep your outreach focused and relevant.

Step 2: Build and Use a Dynamic Talent Pool

Not every seasonal employee will return, but that doesn’t mean they’re not useful. Some may refer friends. Others might return later in the year. A smart seasonal strategy leverages a dynamic talent pool made up of both past candidates and fresh leads.

Here’s how to make it work:

• Capture detailed candidate data during hiring and offboarding, including reasons for leaving, interest in future roles, and shift preferences
• Segment your database by likelihood to return, prior experience, and performance
• Nurture the pool with occasional communications, early application access, or bonus opportunities for returning staff
  

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