Seasonal work: How to find candidates without difficulty
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Seasonal work: How to find candidates without difficulty

These days we often hear that finding seasonal workers is not easy. Some blame it on citizenship income, others on the listlessness of young people, yet companies can do a lot to diminish the mismatch between supply and demand by publishing clear advertisements in the right channels.

In the summer, as is well known, there is a boom in seasonal jobs and hiring that, precisely, are linked to the period being experienced and, as such, are destined to end when the season is over. Like every year, and particularly in this 2022, when summer has the flavour of a new-found freedom, people are hard pressed to find people for short periods.

But what is meant by seasonal work and why is there this mismatch between supply and demand at a time when there is a particular need for these figures?

Let us try to analyse the phenomenon, starting first with understanding what is meant by seasonal work and what its characteristics are.

SUMMARY

What is seasonal work?

lavoro stagionale cameriera

As can be guessed, seasonal work is a type of temporary employment for which there is demand whenever that particular time of year arises. One such season is the summer when hotels, restaurants, and seaside resorts expect a higher turnout and need more staff. But seasonal jobs can also be linked to certain trends and decisions that are made at certain times of the year: one such example is shops during the sales period.

There is also talk of seasonal work linked to climatic requirements: to give a few more examples, snowplough companies need drivers during the colder months of winter, as do lifeguards working at the beach and in swimming pools during the summer.

Seasonal work, by definition, is therefore linked to a very precise time interval and to situations that may occur once or more times a year, but ‘limited’ in time. And often destined to be repeated.

Among seasonal workers, those who choose such short-term jobs may do so for various reasons. There are those who perhaps work part-time and want to supplement their income. So do those who work occasionally during the year and wait for the season to have more continuity, albeit for a limited period. Those interested in seasonal work are often university students. It should also not be forgotten that seasonal workers include those who are unemployed throughout the year and only manage to work during the summer or at other times. Finally, there are those who, for personal and/or professional reasons, have chosen to do a specific job linked to a season (think of a sportsman who in winter is a ski instructor in the mountains and in summer teaches water skiing in another seaside resort).

Seasonal activities between summer jobs and experience abroad

Going even more specific, what are the most popular seasonal jobs?Definitely those related to the tourism and catering sector, as we mentioned. Usually, in the summer period, bartenders as well as waiters are particularly sought after and this is because the various activities, compared to winter, do not observe any closing days. There is therefore a need for a constant presence to cover all shifts.

The same goes for hotels, pensions and bed & breakfasts: cleaners are more in demand, but also receptionists, and if the hotel has a restaurant, the demand for waiters increases here too. As well as chefs or kitchen helpers.

Not to mention lifeguards, who are increasingly sought after on beaches, since both beach owners and municipalities themselves must ensure a daily lifeguard service.

Then there are seasonal jobs that are linked to certain experiences that can be done abroad such as in summer camps, becoming instructors of certain disciplines or being animators in tourist villages. As well as babysitters who perhaps look after the children while the parents are still working or go travelling with the family and look after the children even on holiday.

All summer jobs for students who perhaps decide to have an experience abroad, trying to learn a language better and at the same time finding a way to support themselves.

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The mismatch between supply and demand for seasonal work

Although the summer season in Italy is in full swing and promises to be better than the last two years, there is a significant gap between supply and demand for seasonal jobs. Demand is high, but the right profiles cannot be found.

We are witnessing a real crisis in seasonal jobs, as denounced by Federalberghi, but also by Gardaland, which, according to some, can be attributed to the fact that there are people who, faced with a low income, prefer to receive the citizenship income. Therefore, they would not accept jobs that might be short-lived and above all not be paid so well.

In reality, to ‘blame’ the citizenship income is to provide a very hasty response to the problem without really getting to the root then to understand what solution, or rather solutions, to put in place.

Let us better understand what is driving the seasonal jobs crisis.

Why is it difficult to find seasonal workers?

Actually, citizenship income is only one aspect of the problem, and not even the most decisive one in the mismatch between supply and demand for seasonal workers. Those who refuse such jobs are essentially young people who have graduated recently or for a few years and are therefore unlikely to be citizenship income recipients.

And among the reasons why young people do not consider seasonal jobs is, for example, the fact that the work sector is far from their own, and this applies to students who would work in the summer and winter. This applies to both students who would work in the summer and in the winter. These are in fact people who may want to gain initial work experience, but in sectors related to the one they studied for.

There is also the fact that the pandemic and the change in society in general have overturned the modus vivendi: due to lockdowns and the generalised fear of contracting Covid, there are young people who prefer to spend their time on activities that satisfy them more. There is less spirit of sacrifice tout court, but at the same time those who sacrifice their summer to work want to do so in exchange for guarantees.

Another aspect that should not be overlooked is the type of contract, which often does not meet the needs of those seeking seasonal work, not to mention the pay, which many say is not up to the job required. In the summer, someone working in a bar can work seven days a week without even one day off. Moreover, one can work more than 8 hours a day without often being paid overtime.

Then there are some jobs for which fixed hours prove too stringent. Just think of those who work as lifeguards or cleaners in hotels: not being able to take shifts does not help to narrow the gap between supply and demand.

There are also problems with the way in which selection is carried out: sometimes advertisements are posted very late and searches are launched shortly before the job starts. This means that there is no time to find the right people, to sound out the terrain, to understand what candidates expect.

Another problem is the advertisements themselves: many old guard entrepreneurs complain that they cannot find staff, but they do not realise that HR people often publish advertisements that are not clear to the reader, that do not make it clear what skills are required and so on. Ads that are sometimes published on the wrong portals or that make the candidate experience difficult due to very long forms that end up discouraging the potential candidate.

Not to mention the fact that some companies do not have a centralised collection of CVs and have several problems with screening which may lead them to not assess all the most suitable profiles for seasonal jobs.

Another unfavourable point may be the lack of tools for conducting video interviews which, in the case of seasonal jobs that perhaps involve moving people around (think of seaside resorts, holiday centres, tourist villages), are basic.

What benefits do candidates expect to get?

lavoro stagionale bagnino

Another sore point is not understanding what the needs and especially the expectations of candidates are. Seasonal work, even if it is time-limited, requires a great deal of attention not only to the periods in which people are selected, but also to the benefits they expect.

This has to do with the type of contract and, for example, the fact that there are more rest periods so as not to be exhausted at the end of the season. In the same way, many people prefer flexible hours so that they can organise themselves to enjoy a well-earned rest, go on trips, go to the beach, in short, take some relaxation.

Another important aspect for many seasonal jobs is to have board and lodging because, it goes without saying, that a lifeguard who is in another city – to give an example – is unlikely to find a home for three months. Just as a waiter might need board as he is often at the bar or restaurant.

Seasonal recruitment: why an ATS may be right for you

To better manage seasonal recruitment, an ATS software such as Inrecruiting can be an invaluable help. It is in fact the solution to many of the problems we mentioned earlier.

The fact of publishing advertisements on unsuitable portals, for example, can be overcome thanks to multiposting, which allows one’s job request to be matched with the most suitable candidates and within the channels where they are actually looking.

An ATS then enables fast and effective screening of applications, also with the help of a semantic engine with artificial intelligence.

A centralised database helps to manage applications quickly, without dispersing the collected data; it also allows the creation of a real talent pool, to gain time in planning recruitment for future seasons, moving ahead of competitor companies. One of the many functionalities of an ATS is to perform a text search among CVs and make an initial selection shared with all the people involved in the recruiting process.

In addition, with the new calendar it is possible to schedule interviews quickly by sharing free slots in your calendar directly with the candidate so that he/she can choose the day and time. Finally, using video interview tools such as Meetin to interact with those who are far away or perhaps abroad will make it possible not to lose the most interesting profiles along the way.

Not forgetting the added bonus of being able to create periodic newsletters in which the company and its values, as well as the profiles sought, are discussed. Newsletters that can contain announcements to be sent to specific targets and to be scheduled before the recruitment season begins, all without ever leaving the ATS.

A recruiting software is an excellent tool to reduce mismatching between supply and demand and find the right candidates for seasonal jobs, but at the same time it also ensures that all search and selection activities can be planned well in advance so as not to be in trouble just before the season.

Want to discover more features of Inrecruiting? Request a demo.