Training a Holiday Season Workforce

Training a Holiday Season Workforce

Providing a customer experience that wows customers is difficult enough. Then add the stress and business of holidays along with a temporary workforce, and the task can seem nearly impossible.

Fortunately, there are steps an organization can take during the holiday season to ensure a temporary workforce is mobilized and trained to meet rising consumer expectations. Here are steps to help the workforce step up to the task.

Build the culture

Training a workforce – especially temporary employees – begins long before teaching them the mechanics and procedures of work. Culture is one of the most important influences on all employees, including new hires that step into the role. From day one, a culture that emphasizes customer experience will help shape employees into a workforce that delivers. Work on developing the culture over the long term, and the short term will often take care of itself.

Leverage technology training

When time is of the essence, it’s not always possible to train everyone together. Here is where technology can come in and reach multiple workers on a flexible schedule. Online training can also deepen classroom learning. Social media chat forums allow real-time peer discussions to address challenges. E-learning, videos, and gamification are all options for engaging workers. All of this ensures that learning can take place anywhere, anytime – and in time for the holidays.

Train on soft skills

The interpersonal touch is never more important than during times of high stress, such as the holidays. Training temporary workers on soft skills is as important if not more critical as anything in a job binder. Training workers on soft skills starts with specific, measurable goals that can hold them accountable .

For any organization with temporary holiday employees, there is also long-term value for training this segment. The seasonal opportunities may be a start toward a longer-term role for those who can parlay the opportunity. Taking the right steps to train will pay off for the organization in the long run.