The holidays are here, and keeping up with demand can be a huge challenge for businesses. According to a report by Mastercard Spending Pulse, U.S. holiday sales increased 4.9% in 2017—the largest year-over-year growth since 2011—and online shopping grew even faster, increasing 18.1% from the previous year.
Gains like these are great for year-end results, but can be tricky from a staffing perspective—particularly in the Retail and Transportation spaces who already have spent months getting ready for the rush. At 3.7%, unemployment is at historically low levels, and the fight for talent is fierce. Don’t let your business get left out in the cold! Below are some ways you can more easily add needed “elves” to make the holiday merry and bright for your business:
Help Your Hiring to Fly Faster than Santa’s Reindeer
With the war for talent at an all-time high, you need to lock down candidates as quickly as possible. Use a background screening provider with a mobile option, so candidates can submit their information directly from their phones – or even at an in-store hiring event.
Ensure Your Brand is On the Nice List
The last thing you need during the holiday rush is an incident that goes viral on social media and damages your brand, impacting your 2018 revenue. When running a background screen, be sure to include a social media screening component, to alert you to any issues regarding your candidates.
Don’t Make Your Hiring Process Last the 12 Days of Christmas
Hiring is so tight that the Wall Street Journal recently reported that some retail employees were being hired immediately following a phone screen—no in-person interview required! For some jobs, a lengthy screening process is not necessary. As long as a candidate clears a thorough background screen, shortening the hiring process may be something you want to consider.
Only you know how best to manage the risk to your business. Consult your background screening provider to identify the best balance for your business so you can rest easy for the rest of this year.
