By Phil Harwood

Seasonal employment is an essential aspect of our industry, especially in northern climates with heavy seasonal labor demands in the spring and again whenever it snows. The benefits of seasonal employment from the employer's perspective are obvious and many. But there are many benefits for the employee, and these benefits are often overlooked by recruiters and hiring managers. The reality is that seasonal jobs are often the best jobs. Let me explain.  

Seasonal jobs are often viewed in a negative light. I believe this is a huge mistake and leads companies to miss out on some great people. I believe that seasonal jobs provide some unique benefits that companies would do well to promote. Let's take a look at some of them.
 
A seasonal job provides the ability to earn extra money for someone who may be in school or working another job. Many people have a desire for some extra money for discretionary spending, to pay down debt, save for a purchase, pay tuition, etc.
 
A seasonal job provides the opportunity to learn a new skill and experience different company cultures and management styles. Every work experience adds something useful to a person's background, making them a more well-rounded person.
 
A seasonal job usually has minimal stress. These are easy jobs to handle on top of everything else in a person's life without overloading them. These are jobs where a person can just show up, do their thing, and leave without taking the job home with them.
 
For all of these reasons, a seasonal job is a great side hustle. Recruiters and hiring managers who are able to tap into "the why" will connect their seasonal job opportunities with people who already have a powerful motivation to take a seasonal job.
 
In the snow industry in particular, seasonal jobs are plentiful. Employers today are recruiting almost non-stop throughout the year using multiple recruitment strategies. In addition to getting the word out about the many openings for snow operations, I would encourage recruiters and hiring managers to appeal to one or more of the motivating factors mentioned above in their marketing for these positions. Why not center the dialogue around the benefits of seasonal employment versus simply marketing an open position?
 
To support you in these efforts, GrowTheBench.com has a killer on-boarding program for new hires, including snow industry-specific content. In addition, Snowfighters Institute is offering Virtual Bootcamps this fall to help snow pros on-board new employees and prepare snow teams for the upcoming winter. Our final Bootcamp will be in early November. Your company's registration is only $49 for up to 10 seats. You will not want to miss this special and valuable opportunity!
 
Now go forth.