Seasonal Hiring Toolkit 6 Must-Have Templates THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 2 Table of contents Hiring for the Holiday Rush Job Description Template Email Templates Text Templates Recruit the Best Seasonal Staff with Your JazzHR Toolkit 3 6 8 15 18 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 3 Hiring for the Holiday Rush It’s that time of year, again. No, not the holiday season, but the time when you should be thinking about hiring for it—ideally, months in advance . That’s how long it can take to attract the right talent. And even then it takes a combination of strategy, flair, and a bit of luck. The luck part we can’t help you with, but our tips on seasonal hiring leave little to chance. Best practices include: Starting your candidate search early : Okay, so we’ve already mentioned this. But we can’t emphasize enough how that extra time will stop you from having to recruit the candidates no one else wanted. These would be the ones that have no soft skills or are likely to let you down at a minute’s notice. By starting your search with plenty of time, you’ll have your pick of the best seasonal employees. You’ll even be able to create a database of backups should things not work out exactly as planned. Writing a succinct job advertisement : Your job advertisement should, of course, tell candidates what you expect from them. But, it’s as much about what *they* can expect from *you*. Information like salary, benefits, and incentives are as important to temporary staff as permanent ones. Saying that, you don’t need to go on for pages and pages. Give succinct details. You can follow up with the right candidates during the messaging phase. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 4 Advertising your job on a range of platforms, including social media : Think about who is included in your candidate base. High school students coming of age? College students home for the holidays? Maybe retirees looking for a little extra cash? Job boards might reach the actively searching candidates, but for those only passively looking, social media could be the way to reach them. Remember, a retiree is likely to favor Facebook whereas a high school student wouldn’t. So it’s important to upload to a range of social media platforms with this in mind. Passively sourcing candidates with profiles on career sites and seasonal job boards : Not all job seekers are actively looking for employment, but that doesn’t mean they’re not interested. Scouring job boards for candidates with the right criteria is a great way to find talent for your team. It’s also pretty flattering for the headhunted candidates. While flattery might not get you everywhere, it certainly helps! Asking current employees for referrals : Staff referrals are the most valuable resource when it comes to hiring, with an average of 24 percent of hires being the result of referrals. Referred employees also tend to be the most satisfied, and in turn are the most likely to refer good candidates, themselves. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 5 Reaching out to potential candidates via email, both past employees and new-to-workforce : You’ve received a stack of applications, and you’ve passively sourced a stack of others. Now you have a long list of candidates to reach out to. Introduce yourself and your company in an authentic way. Use email to reach out to new prospects or reconnect with past employees. An email will also give you enough room if you want to send a career page message, which is where you could elaborate on incentives to secure those passively sourced candidates. Reaching out to potential candidates via text message, both past employees and new-to-workforce : With more and more people using a cell phone solely for their online needs, text messages instantly connect you to your candidates. And, a massive 91 percent of people say that they always have their phone within arm’s reach. If you employ all, or at the very least some of these practices, your company should have the competitive edge in hiring the best seasonal staff. And yet you can streamline the process even further by using templates for your advertising and messaging. We’ve come up with six templates that will help you establish a friendly, professional, and consistent tone of voice. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 6 Job Description Template Even though seasonal employees are temporary, they still represent your organization. Working the holiday rush can sometimes call for people with more soft skills than hard qualifications. When you’re posting a job , consider which attributes your ideal employees would have. Then, imagine that they’ve got a dozen roles to choose from - why should they choose you? Talk about benefits and incentives, but also be clear about things like hours and salary. This will immediately eliminate anyone with scheduling conflicts or unreasonable expectations. Transparency works, as does being concise. Give the most basic information in the form of a list, addressing specific duties and desired skills in a succinct paragraph. Save any minutiae for later in the conversation. Top Tip Remember, posting open roles to social media is a great way to get attention. Include a simple “We’re hiring!” or “Come join us!” caption along with a link to the job for a simple but effective advertisement. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 7 Ideal candidates will have previous experience in the sector. You’ll have and are . You’ll also be Here’s the job description template. Just fill in the blanks for an easy yet targeted approach to attracting new staff: T I T L E R O L E O V E R V I E W Here at we’re hiring seasonal for our covering As a you will be responsible for: Seasonal Worker Our company can guarantee a minimum of at a rate of to be paid You’ll receive And we’ll give you If you think this role is for you, apply with us today! INDUSTRY COMPANY NAME JOB TITLE/S LOCATION/BRANCH TIME PERIOD JOB TITLE TYPE OF INDUSTRY WEEKLY HOURS SALARY TRAINING BENEFITS/INCENTIVES CERTIFICATIONS/ QUALIFICATIONS FREQUENCY OF PAYMENT. i.e. weekly, monthly MORE REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS REQUIRED SOFT SKILLS. e.g. hard-working, friendly, reliable LIST DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES A B O U T YO U W H AT W E O F F E R Email Templates Once you have identified your pool of suitable candidates , it’s time to reach out. Email templates will establish a friendly and consistent tone of voice throughout your communications. However, you’ll want a different email template for a new candidate and for those you’re sending to last season’s workers. An email to a new-to-workforce candidate is a great way to introduce yourself and spark dialogue. You could even use a career page template if you want to talk more about your company’s mission, or any incentive you think deserves more of the candidate’s attention. But past employees already know you and your company. Sending an email to them is therefore the perfect opportunity to continue a conversation. Add in a detail or two that you remember about them if you knew them personally, or have stored in your applicant tracking system if you didn’t. This will make them feel valued, and even if they’re not available for employment this season, it just might encourage them to keep you in mind for the next. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 9 E M A I L T E M P L AT E Outreach to previous seasonal employees Here are the main points you should cover when reaching out to a previous employee. • Create a teaser in the subject line. e.g. ‘an exciting opportunity’. • Introduce yourself and the company. • Remind the candidate of their previous employment with the company. • Include any professional information about the candidate of which you’re aware. e.g. completion of a qualification. • Inform candidates of the new seasonal opportunity with your company and why they’d be a good fit. • Ask to schedule a time to discuss this opportunity. • End on a friendly yet professional sign-off. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 10 Hi , My name is , and I work for You previously worked with us as a back in I know you How ? We’re actually looking to hire for the holiday season and think your past success with us makes you a great fit. Here is a link to the job posting: If you’re interested in discussing the opportunity, I’d love to connect. Would you be available for a quick phone call on ? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best, You can fill in the below template to create a professional message with a personal touch: An exciting seasonal opportunity – position at S U B J E C T L I N E E M A I L B O DY JOB TITLE COMPANY NAME FIRST NAME YOUR FIRST NAME COMPANY NAME YEAR OF PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT PREVIOUS JOB TITLE REFER TO PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION DID THAT/IS THAT GOING JOB TITLE LINK DATE/TIME YOUR FULL NAME YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 11 E M A I L T E M P L AT E Outreach to new-to-workforce candidates Here are the main points you should cover when reaching out to new-to-workforce candidates that you’ve either passively sourced or who have applied to the role. • Refer to where you found the candidate’s resume in the subject line. • Introduce yourself and your company, giving a background of what your company does, where it is located, etc. • Inform the candidate of the new seasonal opportunity with your company and why they’d be a good fit. • Ask to schedule a time to discuss this opportunity. • End on a friendly yet professional sign-off. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 12 Hi , My name is , and I work for We’re a located in Our team is looking to hire a for the holiday season and from reviewing your information, we think you’d be a great fit. Here is a link to the job description: If you’re interested in learning more about the position, I’d love to connect. Would you be available for a quick phone call on ? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best, Fill in the below template to establish a connection with a prospective employee: In reference to your – position at S U B J E C T L I N E E M A I L B O DY TYPE OF COMPANY JOB TITLE COMPANY NAME PROFILE ON SPECIFIC PLATFORM FIRST NAME YOUR FULL NAME COMPANY NAME LOCATION JOB TITLE DATE/TIME LINK YOUR FULL NAME YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 13 E M A I L T E M P L AT E Career messaging (for temporary workers) This template should be used specifically to contact passively sourced candidates interested in temporary roles. Special importance should be placed on any incentives for contract completion, minimum hours contracted, and so on. Here are the main points to cover: • Refer to where you found the candidate’s resume in the subject line. • Introduce yourself and your company, giving a brief background of what your company does, where it is located, etc. • Give a brief overview of your company’s mission statement. • Outline your company’s core values. • Inform candidates of the new seasonal opportunity with your company and why they’d be a good fit. • Provide information on hours, salary, incentives (signing bonus or severance pay for contract completed, bonus for contract extended past initial term, etc). • Ask to schedule a time to discuss this opportunity. • End on a friendly yet professional sign-off. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 14 JOB TITLE In reference to your – position at Hi , My name is , and I work for We’re a located in At we aim to Our team believes that We’re actually looking to hire a for the holiday season, and we think you’d be a great fit. Here is a link to the job description: We can offer you If you’re interested in learning more, I’d love to connect. Would you be available for a quick phone call on ? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best, S U B J E C T L I N E E M A I L B O DY Fill in the below template for an easy way to attract your passively sourced candidates: TYPE OF COMPANY JOB TITLE COMPANY NAME PROFILE ON SPECIFIC PLATFORM FIRST NAME YOUR FULL NAME A FEW RELEVANT LINES FROM YOUR MISSION STATEMENT COMPANY NAME COMPANY NAME LOCATION OUTLINE YOUR COMPANY’S CORE VALUES LINK AN OVERVIEW OF HOURS, SALARY, AND ANY BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES DATE/TIME YOUR FULL NAME YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 15 Text Templates Very few people these days don’t have a cell phone, and most use it as their primary communications tool. By texting your pool of candidates, you’ll reach them immediately. But texting is only right for some people, and only at certain points of the recruitment process. For your retirees and candidates with little social media presence, a text could seem inappropriate, with an email often being interpreted as less intrusive and more trustworthy. Previous employees and candidates who have agreed to receive text messages are the best audiences for texting. And if you’re contacting new-to-workforce candidates sourced through staff referrals, make certain they’ve first agreed to receive text messages. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 16 Hi , I’m from mentioned your name, and I wanted to reach out directly. We’re hiring for a seasonal and think you’d be a great fit. Are you available for a call to learn more? T E X T T E M P L AT E Job announcement for new-to-workforce Send this text message once you have passively sourced new-to-workforce candidates. Here are the main points to cover: • Introduce yourself and your company. • Inform the candidate of how you found them. • Inform the candidate of the new seasonal opportunity. • Ask if they would be interested. And here’s the template: T E X T M E S S A G E FIRST NAME YOUR FIRST NAME COMPANY NAME SPECIFIC PLATFORM/STAFF MEMBER NAME JOB TITLE THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CANDIDATE SOURCING 17 T E X T T E M P L AT E Job announcement for previous employees Send this text message once you have identified previous employees you’d like to employ again. Here are the main points to cover: • Introduce yourself and your company. • Remind the candidate of previous employment with your company. • Inform the candidate of a new seasonal opportunity. • Ask if they would be interested. And here’s the template: Hi , I’m from You worked with us back in . We’re actually hiring again for a seasonal and were wondering if you’d be interested. Are you available for a call to learn more? T E X T M E S S A G E FIRST NAME YOUR FIRST NAME COMPANY NAME YEAR OF PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT JOB TITLE Recruit the Best Seasonal Staff with Your JazzHR Toolkit Hiring for the holiday rush requires a lot of planning and forethought. By using our tips for your recruitment strategy, you’ll have the competitive edge to attract and hire the best seasonal employees in plenty of time. Want to put these templates into action? Learn how JazzHR can help to streamline your entire recruitment process. Visit www.jazzhr.com to start reaching the best-fit candidates in just a few clicks. 1510 Reedsdale St, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 - 610 Lincoln Street, Suite 205, Waltham, MA Ready to jumpstart your sourcing strategy in just a few clicks? EMAIL CALL WEBSITE BLOG hello@jazzhr.com 888-885-5299 jazzhr.com jazzhr.com/blog