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Seasonal Staff Playbook:
Hiring, Training & Retaining Great Teams
Every sports team has a series of plays – running plays, passing plays, defensive plays and so on. But no matter how many times you read playbook, what matters most is how the team executes on the field.
Stadium and other sport event venues have a front row seat to these plays – and to what happens when the right talent gets on the field and execute. Yet stadium venues today — and really any other seasonal operation — are struggling to make their own talent execute with that same effectiveness. The quick bursts of high traffic and heavy volume require maximum hours, manpower and attention to a great guest experience. Finding skilled talent isn’t easy.
So how do you stack your bench and coach your own team to maximum efficiency? We’ve got a few tips from the workforce management front office here at Fourth.
PLAY #1: Hire Quality Seasonal Staff
Hiring quality seasonal staff should be at the top of the list because we all know your starting line-up can make or break the season.
The first challenge for seasonal venues is stacking the bench when there just doesn’t seem to be enough people out there to hire. When the clock is running out and you’re low on options, there are a few resources that can help you achieve just that.
Referrals
Social Media
PLAY #2: Onboard & Train Your Seasonal Staff
Seasonal venues service tens of thousands of people – often in a single night! Without proper training and engagement opportunities, your seasonal staff can keep sales in the minor leagues.
Train and prepare staff to serve guests in a high-speed, high-volume environment. With the right training tools, you can provide effective onboarding and ongoing training that encourages your seasonal staff to tune in and engage from almost anywhere – think of it as coaching your team through regular practice sessions.
Effective & Efficient Onboarding Training
Delivering effective onboarding and training content is crucial, and video is your vehicle to just that. Online training videos can be captivating and engaging for your new seasonal staff. Keep it short by providing them with small chunks of information, or micro-learning, at a time. You want your new team to be skilled and ready to go, ASAP!
On-the-Go Education With a Mobile Training App
Sometimes in-house or in-person training is costly and time-consuming, but there’s no need to worry about the costs of training someone on their own time or terms. The best learning management systems can give you access controls using geo-fencing or IP address lockdowns.
PLAY #3: Retain Your Seasonal Staff
If it feels like you’re always trading one player for another and getting nowhere, you’re not alone. While some of your team will stick around, the turnover trend continues to be the number one reason why hiring is so hard!
You’ve got to think about your team the same way you think about your fans – you want to give them the best possible experience so they come back!
To feed the hiring engine, it’s important to create a great work environment so your seasonal staff comes back the next season.
There’s a lot that goes into the culture of a great team – the intangibles. Just like building a powerhouse dynasty starts with forming a key foundation of players and coaches, your organizational culture starts with trust and communication from management while ensuring employees have the tools they need to execute their roles effectively. Have you created a supportive working environment? Would your workers recommend you to a friend?
Scheduling Seasonal Staff
Getting the right employee scheduling app allows you to effectively manage your workforce while giving your team the freedom they need to thrive in the workplace. In the height of the season, schedules drive happiness and employee productivity!
Employee Communication
This of course doesn’t eliminate the human connection of in-person team meetings, but mobile notifications effectively keep your team in sync and communicate organizational pursuits.
Recruiting for the Long Haul
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