Seasonal Hiring and Onboarding: How to Make Temporary Teams Feel Permanent

It’s not news to hear that the holiday season often brings a surge in temporary staffing needs.

Whether it’s retail floor help, customer‑service agents, logistics crew or other seasonal roles, the festive months require those extra hands. And whilst the title of ‘temp’ looms as a reminder that these new hires are fractional, employers who can still supply that positive experience for this temporary workforce will ultimately get the most productive seasonal teams. After all, job‑seeker interest in seasonal work at the end of September 2025 was up 27% year‑over‑year and 50% above 2023 levels.

With this in mind, how can employers make seasonal hires feel like valued team members, instead of just fill-ins?

For starters, treat seasonal hires like members of the team from their very first day.This looks like providing a welcome orientation that covers company culture, values, and how their role contribute, as well as introducing them to their new team to help them feel more connected right from the offset.

Secondly, provide clarity around the role, schedule and expectations.Temporary work often appeals because of flexibility, but ambiguity can undermine this effectiveness. Ensure job postings clearly state hours, duration, expectations, and any possibility of extension or conversion. Having this clear communication avoids any misunderstandings and ultimately elevates the candidate and employee experience.

All of this lends towards fostering engagement.Just because someone is working for a few months doesn’t mean you can ignore engagement. Incorporate them into team meetings, invite them to festive events, and recognize their contributions with shout‑outs. This ensures engagement throughout their stint as a temp and helps to boost productivity during an admittedly busy time.

And sometimes, seasonal staff may go on to be something more for a company. It can be a good idea for employers to think of the seasonal workforce as an extended audition to be a potential new hire. Some temporary hires may prove to be outstanding and a great fit for future roles, and so ensuring that they are treated as a member of the team from the get-go will increase the likelihood of them wanting to accept a position with the business after the holidays are over.

It can also be a smart idea to gather feedback from all seasonal staff once the holidays are over. Asking about what worked and what didn’t can offer insights to help refine next year’s approach and make it even more efficient (and inclusive!).

Seasonal hiring is a valuable part of any business calendar, and when done with intention, it treats temporary team members as valued contributors rather than stop‑gap placeholders. By onboarding them thoughtfully and making the effort to integrate them fully, seasonal staffing can be turned into a strategic advantage and a potential talent pipeline.

If you would like to discuss how we can help ensure you are optimizing your seasonal hires, please get in touch with us today.