Whether you’re preparing for an influx of holiday customers or ramping up for a new project that requires extra resources, understanding the latest temporary staffing trends is crucial to secure enough talent to meet demand. Here are four temporary staffing trends that may impact your ability to recruit enough talent for the holidays. Use them to inform your own hiring strategies so that your business runs smoothly even in your busiest seasons.  

Trend #1: Gen Z is Quitting in Droves

According to a recent study, more than 76% of hourly workers between the ages of 18-24 said they planned to leave their job in the next year. This may ultimately leave companies hiring for temporary or seasonal positions with a larger number of new Gen Z applicants to consider. Because of this, it’s more important than ever that you tailor your messaging and hiring strategy to meet Gen Z’s demands. 

Strategy: Highlight Gen Z friendly perks in job postings and during interviews

It’s important to understand what Gen Z workers value in the workplace, such as flexibility, autonomy, and finding the right company culture fit. Even in temporary positions, Gen Z job seekers want to work for companies that align with their values and offer a positive work environment. Highlighting the perks of your company culture in job postings and during interviews can help attract candidates who are not only looking for a paycheck, but also a place they’re excited to work. 

Trend #2: Flexibility Remains Top of Mind for Hourly Workers

Data shows that almost half (46%) of non-office workers consider flexibility as important or more important than pay. When it comes to seasonal staffing, job seekers hoping to pick up temporary work may, in particular,  be looking for part-time roles that allow them to balance the busy holiday season with opportunities to earn extra income. 

Strategy: Hire enough workers to allow for flexible hours

Offering flexible hours or shift options can make your temporary positions more appealing and broaden your candidate pool. But in order to offer flexible schedules, you’ll need to hire enough temporary staff so that people can pick and choose their hours when possible. Providing this autonomy and control is also appealing and may set you apart from the competition. 

Trend #3: E-commerce Expected to Reach New Heights 

A new report from Deloitte predicts that while holiday retail sales are expected to increase 2.3-3.3%, online purchases are expected to surge by 7-9% this season. While e-commerce and online shopping aren’t anything new, they’re expected to surge to new heights this year—one report suggests U.S. e-commerce sales may reach the record high of $240.8 billion.

All of this points towards the ongoing trend of e-commerce becoming increasingly popular for consumers during the holidays. Regardless of industry, consumers will be turning to your website or app to see what purchases they can make online ahead of the holiday season.

Strategy: Staff extra support for online needs

Make sure that when you’re staffing for the holidays, you’re not only considering what personnel you’ll need in a brick and mortar setting, but talent that can support this increase in e-commerce. This may include staffing up for online support roles such as customer service agents, or extra support for people who buy online and pick up their purchases in-store. Ensuring consumers have a smooth e-commerce experience will be more important than ever, when they have more options than ever for where to purchase online. 

Trend #4: Workers Want Fast, Flexible Pay

In today’s job market, competitive compensation is critical. But along with the amount you pay your temporary staff, offering fast, flexible payment options is essential too. With ongoing economic pressure and the increasing demand for flexibility as noted earlier, it makes sense that  more than ¾ of today’s workers want to be paid every day, a much different pay cadence than the traditional (and outdated!) bi-weekly paycheck. 

Workers are no longer interested in jobs that provide such stagnant methods, nor will they put up with payment delays. They’re searching for fast, flexible payment options—everything from same-day payouts of wages and tips to options like earned wage access that can grant them a portion of their upcoming paycheck ahead of time. 

Strategy: Offer a competitive payments experience

During the busiest hiring seasons, providing fast, flexible payments can set you apart from the competition, helping you attract more candidates and enhance their experience. By turning to things like same-day payouts (whether your workers are W-2 or 1099) and earned wage access, you create a more flexible payments experience that allows workers to better manage their money. 

With turnover rates for temporary positions higher than full-time roles (the rate for temporary roles in 2022 was 419%), it’s crucial to offer these workers a positive experience—and that includes a competitive payments experience. 

Planning Ahead for a Smooth Holiday Season  

Avoid holiday staffing challenges by equipping your company with the strategies listed above, paying attention to how you can address the needs of your temporary staff. By meeting Gen Z’s new demands, prioritizing scheduling flexibility, considering how you can support e-commerce needs, and offering the perks of same-day pay, your business can thrive during the busiest time of year. 

Learn more about how Branch can help you offer fast, flexible payments to your workforce here.