Help & How-To

Human Resources
How can I hire more employees and retain them with a seasonal business?
I have a seasonal swimming pool service business that runs from March to November. I need service techs and an office manager/secretary.

Asked by poolpalace
Posted: Tuesday, January 29, 2008  |  Found in Human Resources


More answers by Penny Morey
Answer by Penny Morey
For people who own businesses that require employees for specific periods of time, it is a good idea to develop a list of local sources of the kind of talent needed. If you need techs, for example, perhaps there is a local vocational school or other schools that might have young people seeking work for their spring and summer breaks. Perhaps contacting other kinds of enterprises that operate in the opposite season (e.g., those catering to things like snow plowing/removal comes to mind) would help you find some people. The local unemployment office may be able to help you identify other such employers as they are usually on top of companies that lay off workers in the spring and rehire in the fall. Another idea is to provide flex hours to the degree possible and job sharing. That way you can attract people who need to work but maybe not full-time or 9:00 to 5:00. Providing a bonus for those who stay on board for the entire season may help you too.
Penny is a seasoned human resources executive and consultant with over 25 years of diverse business experience in advising enterprise leaders on employment-related matters.


Recent Articles & Resources
Insight from Business Experts
Leadership In Troubled Times
I have something of a rant in me - and it has to do with politics. But this isn't a partisan rant, it's a rant about leadership in troubled times. Like all of you I've been riveted by the unfolding financial crisis - as have my employees, all 86 of ...

Ten Steps to Successful Online Book Marketing
Marketing your book online is both rewarding and challenging. It’s rewarding because much of what you can do online is either free or low cost. Knowing what to do and in what order is the challenging part. There is a method to marketing your book online that you'll need to follow ...

Some Quick Tips For Small Businesses In This Financial Crisis
The best advice I ever heard was when a wise person said to me the time to evaluate your business cost and cash position is not when times are tough but when times are good. Even so, most people don't do that. However, there are many things a business ...

Venture Capital: Hurt By The Credit Crisis?
Recently, there has been some discussion about whether the credit crisis is helping or hurting venture capitalists. The argument that it is helping holds that the credit crisis has made returns from venture capital investments more favorable than returns from other types of private equity. The high returns to private equity ...
Have a burning question? Ask now!

Meet the Experts