The holiday season is a time of great change for most of us. We have to shop for presents, prepare for time with family, and maybe even handle some travel arrangements. For business owners, this can be a time of feast or famine, and one in which they often need to find some extra help. But how do you know how much help do you need? Where do you need it? Especially in these uncertain times, this can be complicated. That’s okay, here’s a quick guide to hiring for the holidays.

Past is Prologue

Looking at your past holiday staffing needs is an excellent place to start. Right off the bat, you will easily be able to determine whether this is even an issue for you. Look for patterns. If you have needed to hire staff, how many? Where did you need help? Understanding what you needed in the past is an excellent foundation to determining your needs now.

Look at the Numbers

This doesn’t just mean to look at the numbers from past holiday seasons. You need to look at what is currently going on with your business as well. If the business is down, by how much? If business has been picking up, do you think it will continue? These are common decisions that business owners need to make and it’s no different for you as you move forward. The important thing here is to take your time with the numbers. Look for patterns and be honest. That will help ensure the best possible decision for you and your company.

Make an Educated Decision

Looking at your past needs and your current numbers are both great steps. But, in the end, you will need to make an educated decision and hope for the best. There are no guarantees, unfortunately. But if you’ve made a careful analysis of the information available to you then you should know exactly who you’ll need and where you will need them. If you are concerned then start small, with only one or two new hires, scaling up as needed. You don’t have to do it all at once.

How Charles Foster Can Help YOU

If you are an employer looking to fill positions in your company, an employee looking to switch jobs, or someone looking for a brand-new role, please feel free to reach out to us. Our highly skilled team has placed thousands of qualified candidates with excellent jobs over the last 50 years. From finding the right one to being the right one – Charles Foster is here to help.