Finding the Right People for the Holiday Rush
Think you’ve got enough help for the Christmas surge? Think again. A fresh set of numbers from Indeed Flex suggests that about 75% of small and medium‑size businesses are worried they won’t have enough extra hands on deck when the holiday season hits.
1. The Staffing Dilemma
- Nearly 81% of firms expect a busier festive season than this year.
<li 65% of them plan to bring in more employees than they did last Christmas.
<li To stay ahead, 58% are kicking off the recruitment process earlier than a year ago.
2. Who’s Looking?
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<li 80% are hunting for full‑time hires.
<li 27% need part‑time staff.
<li Demand for both full‑time temporary (30%) and part‑time temporary (26%) roles is sky‑high.
<li Despite a government push to curb zero‑hour contracts, 66% of larger firms say they’ll still offer them around the holidays.
3. The Biggest Hurdles
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<li 48% say the toughest part is finding the right talent.
<li 40% struggle with juggling staff holiday requests.
<li Other headaches include: 38% – salary hikes, 36% – scheduling shift rosters, 32% – keeping workers on board.
4. Why It Matters: Christmas is The Big Payday
Three‑quarters (77%) of companies consider the holiday crunch their most crucial sales period. This optimism fuels their confidence: 80% anticipate higher sales than last year, and a quarter (22%) forecast increases of more than half.
Key Takeaways from the CEO
CEO Novo Constare of Indeed Flex notes:
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<li “The end of the year is golden for many shops, but you’ve got to top it off with the best crew possible.”
<li “If full‑time slots are tough to fill, temporary workers can keep the line moving.”
<li “Getting the right staff now will help cushion upcoming cost spikes, especially with new National Insurance rates coming up.”
In short, the holiday rush is here. Get your hiring game on – or you might just be watching your sales chart dip instead of ride the sleigh.
