Why it’s important to streamline your HR processes during the holiday season
During the holiday season, HR professionals essentially become Santa’s helpers. While Santa runs an entire workshop with magical assistance to meet holiday deadlines, the human resources team is left handling too much on their own. The holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year, but it also means extra workload for HR departments. Seasonal hiring typically increases, with industries such as retail, logistics, and hospitality hiring in large numbers. Meanwhile, full-time employees are requesting time off and human resources departments are working to keep the workplace running smoothly. In addition, year-end tasks such as payroll adjustments and benefits updates take up a lot of time. Not to mention the stress and low morale on employees.
So what’s the plan? How can HR departments cope with the joy and hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Below, we explore strategies that can help HR teams, Santa’s very own helpers, streamline operations during the busiest time of the year. From managing seasonal hiring to making sure all paid time off requests go through without a hitch, here are tips to make the holiday season as smooth as possible.
Holiday Challenge for HR Professionals
seasonal recruitment
Seasonal hiring, especially in industries like retail, hospitality, and logistics, can be a nightmare for people working in human resources. First, you need to quickly find temporary staff that will be productive from day one. It’s the HR team’s job to craft ads that express this urgency, but are interesting enough to attract top talent. Then there’s the challenge of conducting interviews, background checks, and onboarding sessions. Let’s stop talking about schedules. Coordinating everyone’s schedule during the holiday season can be more of a pain than it sounds.
Increased workload
HR during the holiday season is like Santa’s workshop. The to-do list seems endless and the clock is ticking. Everything that HR professionals have to do is filled with paperwork. Let’s take payroll calculation as an example. They have to calculate holiday bonuses, overtime, and even errors. Also, don’t forget about seasonal employment, which we discussed above. This requires contracts, tax forms, and bank account information. Next, there are benefit adjustments and year-end activities. From updating benefit plans to creating compliance reports, there can be too much work.
Employee leave management
The holiday season is a time when everyone is reminded that they must use their remaining paid time off. But for HR, balancing time off requests while keeping the business running can be a challenge. For example, everyone wants the same holidays, such as December 24th and January 2nd. Therefore, the job of the human resources manager is to make sure that no one leaves dissatisfied. Even if they make it through, some still have paid time off left. In that case, you may have to receive it soon after the new year, which will require extra paperwork and procedures.
employee morale
In fact, HR isn’t the only team that needs to get year-end work done. The holiday season is a time when everyone is juggling deadlines, drama at both work and home, and the “chaos” of the season. As a result, some employees may feel stressed and even burnout. The fatigue of the year seems to be building up just before the end. Therefore, the responsibility for boosting employee morale necessarily lies with the human resources department.
How to streamline your HR processes during the holiday season
Advanced planning for recruitment
Waiting until December to hire seasonal staff is a recipe for disaster. Start early, in October or even September. The sooner you post your job ad, the more likely you are to find someone who actually shows up on time and is willing to work during their vacation. You can use applicant tracking systems (ATS) for help or use AI-driven tools to find candidates quickly. These tools can also handle interview scheduling. Once you have secured employment, you will need an onboarding program. To avoid too much work, try to streamline your work and keep it compact with microlearning or one-day courses. Finally, be sure to clearly express your work expectations and schedule to avoid misunderstandings.
Holiday leave policy
What is the key to efficiently managing high volumes of leave requests? Clear and transparent leave policies. Let your team know exactly what is expected, what is allowed, and most importantly, what the deadlines are. Communication is very important, so make sure everyone understands how to request time off and what the process is. Then use software to manage everything and automate approvals. From tracking PTO balances to seeing who has time off and when, these tools will ease your workload. Approve or decline requests with just a few clicks and avoid scheduling conflicts.
Enhance your employee holiday experience
As mentioned earlier, the holiday season doesn’t always mean merrymaking. For some people, it’s a time of all kinds of stress as they have to finish work, attend to family gatherings and plans, buy gifts, and figure out their budget. Human resources departments can help with that by spreading some holiday cheer. If your team is remote, you can also host a celebratory party or virtual hangout. Mental health is a serious issue, so make sure your employees know they have support, such as providing access to counselors and encouraging them to take breaks when needed. Finally, reward them. Offer bonuses, thank you notes, and even small gifts like baskets or gift cards.
Optimized year-end HR process
The real trouble begins when all tasks must be completed before the new year begins. Employee records and compliance documents need to be updated, and benefits updated. Don’t forget about performance reviews. The best way to streamline the process is to use templates and have clear deadlines so you don’t have to scramble at the last minute. However, the most important thing at the end of the year is preparing for the next year. Plan for January by setting goals, budgets, and priorities so you can be productive as soon as the new year begins.
conclusion
As we enter the holiday season, HR teams are truly Santa’s helpers. Efficient, organized and always ready to help. Being prepared can help the season run a little more smoothly for everyone involved, including HR running Santa’s Workshop. So, plan ahead and add some festive magic to your HR operations. Now is the perfect time to implement the tips above and enjoy the Christmas season stress-free.
