4 Ways to Ensure a Successful Peak Season

Planning, preparing, training, and smart staffing are the 4 keys to success to ensure you’re not left in the dust during those busy and lucrative times.

1. Plan.

Use data collected from the previous year’s plans to confirm your highest and lowest producing days, weeks, and months. This will help to determine which ones required the most or least staff. You can also see what type of workers were needed and how often. Planning enables you to compare and recreate past successes when your goals were exceeded, and production levels were highest. Additionally, always plan for the unexpected as you can guarantee fewer problems during and after ramp-ups by creating a contingency plan. A comprehensive plan will provide more flexibility for unexpected turns and can help ensure productivity goals are met. To elevate administrative burdens associated with ramp-ups and downs consider using staffing solutions that can take off any undue burden.

2. Create a calendar.

Calendars are a fantastic way to record your highs and lows of the season. They also provide valuable, relevant history, enabling you to anticipate future needs by utilizing last year’s recruiting forecast. If you feel like you already know when there will be increases in demand, don’t forget to build those into your peak season plans.

3. Calculate your staffing needs.

Use your calendar reflecting highs and lows to calculate how many of each type of worker you’ll need to work with differing demands. A staffing provider can assist in the creation of a strategic workforce plan. Because you’ll need varying levels of skillset, they’ll be able to source the specific talent needed for both highly skilled and semi-skilled positions.

4. Update your training processes and procedures.

Develop training programs to target and prepare each type of new hire in advance and as soon as possible. You’ll also want to make sure that everyone involved with your planning has a clear understanding of the standardized processes and procedures needed to make a successful transition. To ensure the process is smooth, you may consider utilizing similar operating procedures for on and off-boarding training to minimize the burden on internal teams, especially during your peak seasons.

Don’t get left in the dust this season!