Seasonal spikes in demand can be trying times for different businesses, as they are often forced to turn away revenue simply because they can’t meet the increased demand for their products or services. The normal solution is to hire temporary workers for the duration of the season to take up the slack so that more of that demand can be fully met.
When a holiday or some other event that gives a temporary boost in demand comes around, many businesses often resort to posting “help wanted” signs outside their premises. While that’s a good start, there’s definitely more that could be done to ensure that optimal staffing is maintained throughout the season. Here are just a few ways Filipino businesses can attempt to fulfill demand.
Check with local colleges and universities for job placement programs
Contact local schools to see if they have an OJT or temporary employment program that could partner with. This is worth considering if demand for your business increases during the summer and year-end holidays. You can provide students with valuable training and an allowance through their summer and Christmas breaks, while they give you the extra labor you need to meet the temporary demand.
Local newspapers
While newspapers are definitely not as useful as they used to be, local newspapers can be still quite potent within their covered area. Local newspaper ads also tend to be cheap, and they can tend to provide continued value for at least a few days after your ad has been published.
Use a job portal
Job sites have changed the way everyone looks for jobs. Unfortunately, many job sites make it too difficult to sort jobs by category or location. This can be a major issue for an SME that only needs to fill seasonal jobs in a specific area.
Rather than waste time on more general job sites, check out geographically-specific portals like Mynimo. More localized portals are a better bet for seasonal job openings as you will only be reaching potential applicants close to your intended location, which means it’s easier to reach more qualified applicants.
Get in touch with local barangay officials
In the Local Government Code of 1991, two of the mandates of an LGU are “enhance economic prosperity and social justice” and “promote full employment among their residents”. To that end, many barangays maintain an employment and job placement program. Since barangays are highly localized, this makes them a good starting point to find temporary workers within a certain geographical area. They’re also a good way to develop goodwill within the community and reach out to less technically-adept job applicants who might still be able to do a good job in an available position, including the elderly.
Give good compensation
The thing about seasons is that they roll around year after year. Compensating your temporary employees fairly means that they are more likely to put in a good word for you and take you up on any openings should demand pick up again the following year. Should your business expand, you may find it easier to convince any outstanding temporary workers to work with you full time.
What other ways can SME’s boost staffing to fill seasonal demand? Tell us!
