Why It’s Important for Employee Processes to Work Well During the Holiday Season
When it comes to the holiday season, HR professionals are Santa’s helpers. While Santa has an entire workplace with magical help to meet holiday deadlines, HR teams are mostly managing on their own. While the holiday season may be the most exciting time of the year, for human resources departments, it means more work. Seasonal employment tends to increase, with industries such as retail, transportation, and hospitality hiring the most. Meanwhile, full-time employees request their vacation days, leaving HR to try to keep the workplace running smoothly. In addition, year-end activities such as salary adjustments and benefits updates take up a lot of their time. Not to mention depressed and low morale workers.
So, what’s the plan? How can HR handle the excitement and hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Below, we’ll explore strategies to help HR teams streamline operations during the busiest time of the year, as they truly are Santa’s helpers. From managing seasonal employment to making sure every PTO request is processed without drama, we have tips to keep your holiday season as smooth as possible.
Holiday Challenges for HR Professionals
Seasonal Employment
Casual employment, especially in industries such as retail, tourism, and transportation, sounds like a nightmare to HR professionals. First, there is a rush to find part-time workers who can be productive from day one. The HR team’s job is to create ads that convey this urgency while still sounding exciting enough to attract top talent. Then there’s the challenge of conducting interviews, background checks, and onboarding sessions. And let’s not talk about planning. Trying to coordinate everyone’s availability during the holidays is as frustrating as it sounds.
Increased workload
HR during the holidays is like Santa’s workshop. The to-do list seems endless, and the clock is ticking. The things HR professionals need to do are all filled with paperwork. Let’s take payroll as an example. They must account for vacation bonuses, overtime, and possibly errors. And don’t forget about the seasonal rental we talked about above, which requires contracts, tax forms, and bank details. Then, there is the adjustment of benefits and year-end activities. From updating benefit plans to preparing compliance reports, it can get pretty overwhelming.
Employee Time Management
The holiday season is when everyone remembers to use their remaining PTO. However, for HR, balancing time off requests while keeping the business running is a lot. For example, everyone probably wants the same days off, like December 24 or January 2. So, the job of HR professionals is to make sure that no one is left dissatisfied. Even if they can pull this off, there are some people who still don’t have some PTO left. If so, they may have to take them as soon as the new year starts, which means there are other books and procedures.
Employee Morale
The truth is that HR is not the only group with year-end tasks to wrap up. The holiday season is when everyone talks about deadlines, drama at work and at home, and the “chaos” of the season. As a result, some workers experience stress and even burnout. Year-round fatigue seems to increase before it ends. Thus, the responsibility of improving employee morale inevitably falls on the HR department.
How to Organize Workforce Processes During the Holidays
Advanced Employment Planning
Waiting until December to start hiring seasonal workers is a recipe for disaster. Start early, in October or even September. The sooner you post job ads, the better your chances of finding people who are on time and want to work during the holidays. You can use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) for help or AI-driven tools to find candidates faster. These tools can also handle interview scheduling. Once you’ve secured your rental, you need a boarding plan. To avoid overload, simplify and try to keep it compact with microlearning and one-day courses. Finally, clearly state job expectations and schedules to avoid misinterpretation.
Holiday Leave Policies
What is the key to handling large leave requests correctly? Clear and transparent holiday leave policies. Let your team know exactly what is expected, what is allowed, and, most importantly, when the deadline is. Communication is very important, so make sure everyone knows how to ask for time off and what the process looks like. Next, use software to manage everything and automate approvals. From tracking PTO balances to seeing who’s out and when, these tools will make the job easier. You will be able to approve or deny requests with a few clicks and avoid schedule overlap.
Enhanced Employee Holiday Experience
As we mentioned before, the holiday season doesn’t necessarily mean happiness; for others, it’s the time when all the stress hits them, as they have to finish their jobs, deal with family gatherings and planning, buy gifts, and keep track of their budget. HR can help with that by spreading the holiday cheer. You can have a festive party or a virtual hangout if your group is far away. Mental health is a serious issue, so make sure your employees know they are supported, either by giving them access to a counselor or simply encouraging them to take time off when needed. Finally, reward them. Offer bonuses, shout-outs, and even small gifts like hamper baskets or gift cards.
Improved Year-End HR Practices
The real problem starts when you have to finish all your tasks before the start of the new year. You need to review employee records and compliance documents and renew benefits. And don’t forget about performance reviews. The best way to simplify the process is with templates and clear deadlines so that no one is rushed at the last minute. However, the most important part of the end of the year is preparing for the next one. Organize January by setting goals, budgets, and priorities so you can be productive as soon as the new year begins.
The conclusion
As we head into the holiday season, HR teams are truly Santa’s helpers—efficient, organized, and always ready to help. By being prepared, HR can make the season a little smoother for everyone involved, like running a Santa workshop. So, plan ahead and add some magic to your HR activities. Now is the perfect time to apply the above tips and enjoy the holiday season stress-free.
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