Hiring Seasonal Staff for Spring and Summer
If your business gets busier when the weather warms up, the hiring you do in late winter decides how smooth your summer feels. This guide helps you work out how many seasonal staff you need, when to start looking, how to write an ad that attracts good people and how to keep them through to the end of the season.
Key takeaways
- Start planning in late winter. The best seasonal candidates often commit to a job weeks before the season begins.
- Base headcount on last year's busiest weeks, opening hours and the shifts you actually need covered.
- Seasonal workers are still employees, with the same core rights on pay, working time, safety and fair treatment.
- Clear dates, fair pay, reliable schedules and a small end-of-season reward help people stay until the last shift.
It is late February, and for many businesses the quiet months are nearly over. Garden centers, cafes, ice cream shops, tour operators, holiday lets, landscapers, event companies and beach kiosks are all about to need more hands. Students are already thinking about summer work, and the people who did seasonal jobs last year are deciding whether to come back to you or try somewhere new.
That makes now the right time to plan. Hiring in a rush in May usually means taking whoever is left, training them during your busiest days and hoping they stay. Hiring with a plan in March and April means you choose, train calmly and open the season ready.
A quick note: this article is general information about seasonal hiring, not legal or employment advice. Employment law varies by country and by state, so check official guidance where you operate and speak to a qualified adviser if you are unsure.
Work out how many people you really need
Guessing headcount leads to either an overstretched team or a wage bill that eats your summer profit. Use your own data instead.
Look back at last season
Pull your sales or booking data from last spring and summer by week, and if possible by day and hour. Mark your busiest periods: school holidays, long weekends, local events and sunny Saturdays. Then compare those peaks with how many people were working. Where were queues long, phones unanswered or staff exhausted? Where were people standing around?
Map shifts, not just people
Think in shifts first. List your opening hours for each part of the season and the number of people needed on each shift to serve customers well. Add up the total shift hours per week, then divide by a realistic number of hours each seasonal worker will do. That gives you a headcount that matches your demand.
Plan for gaps
Seasonal teams change. People leave early, get sick or have exams and family holidays. Build in a small buffer, or keep a short list of people who are happy to pick up extra shifts at short notice.
Pro tip
Ask your best seasonal workers from last year to come back before you advertise. Returners need less training, know your customers and often bring friends who turn out to be reliable too. A short, warm message in February can save you weeks of hiring.
Know the rules before you hire
Seasonal and temporary staff are employees, so most of the usual rules apply to them. Get the basics right from the start.
- Right to work. Check every new hire's right to work in your country in the way the official guidance requires, and keep records.
- Pay. Pay at least the legal minimum wage for the worker's age and location, and check whether a state or city rate is higher than the national one.
- Overtime and working time. In the US, the FLSA requires 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees, and some states add daily overtime rules. In the UK there is no legal right to overtime pay, but average pay for hours worked must not fall below the National Minimum Wage, and the Working Time Regulations set a 48-hour average weekly limit unless the worker opts out.
- Young workers. Many seasonal staff are teenagers. There are often limits on the hours and tasks under-18s can do, so check the rules before you schedule them.
- Payroll, tax and benefits. Seasonal staff go through payroll like anyone else. Check holiday pay, pension or retirement plan duties and any benefits rules that apply to temporary workers.
- Health and safety. In the US, OSHA's general duty clause applies. In the UK, the Health and Safety at Work Act applies, and employers with 5 or more employees must have a written health and safety policy and a written risk assessment. Seasonal staff need safety training too.
Common mistake
Treating seasonal workers as self-employed contractors to save on paperwork. Whether someone is an employee or a contractor depends on how the work is actually done, not on what you call it. Getting this wrong can lead to back pay, tax bills and penalties. If in doubt, get professional advice.
Write a seasonal job ad that attracts good people
Seasonal candidates are often comparing several jobs at once. A clear, honest ad helps the right people pick you.
- Lead with the dates. Say when the job starts and ends, such as "April to September," and whether there is a chance of staying on.
- Be clear about hours. Give typical weekly hours, which days and whether weekends and evenings are required.
- State the pay. Include the hourly rate or range. Ads with pay usually get more and better-matched applications.
- Describe a real day. Two or three sentences on what the person will actually do, from opening up to serving customers to cleaning down.
- Share the perks. Staff discounts, free meals, flexible shifts around exams, an end-of-season bonus or a reference all matter to seasonal workers.
- Make applying easy. A short form or a quick message works better than a long application for most seasonal roles.
Post your ad where seasonal workers look: local job boards, college and university job pages, community groups, your own social channels and a sign in your window. If you hire for several roles, an applicant tracking tool such as Workable, BambooHR, Breezy HR or Recruitee can keep candidates organized. Check current features, pricing and privacy policies before signing up.
Interview and select quickly
Good seasonal candidates do not wait long. Keep your process short and fair.
Use short, structured interviews
Fifteen to twenty minutes is usually enough. Ask every candidate the same core questions so you can compare fairly:
- "Which dates and days are you available, and are there any weeks you are away?"
- "Tell me about a time you dealt with a busy rush or a difficult customer."
- "What would you do if you were running late for a shift?"
- "What are you hoping to get from a summer job?"
Try a paid trial shift
For hands-on roles, a short trial shift shows you far more than an interview. Pay people for trial shifts, keep them short and tell candidates what you will be looking for.
Decide and confirm in writing
Offer quickly, then send a written offer or contract that covers start and end dates, pay, hours, place of work and who they report to. Ask for a reply by a set date so you can move on to your next choice if needed.
Hypothetical example
Imagine Aisha, who runs a seaside cafe that triples its trade from May to September. Last year she hired in late May and spent June training new staff during the busiest days. This year she messaged four returners in February, three said yes, and she advertised two more roles in early March with clear dates and pay. She ran short interviews and paid trial shifts over two weekends, confirmed everyone by early April and held a half-day training session before the first bank holiday. Opening weekend ran smoothly, and she spent her summer serving customers instead of covering gaps. (This example is made up for illustration.)
Seasonal hiring plan template
Use this table to plan each role from now until the season ends. Copy it into a spreadsheet and add a row per role. The roles, dates and figures below are made-up examples.
| Role | Number needed | Season dates (example) | Weekly hours (example) | Hourly pay (example) | Advertise by | Start training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counter assistant | 3 | 1 May to 15 September | 20 to 30 | $15.00 | 10 March | 20 April |
| Kitchen helper | 2 | 15 May to 31 August | 25 to 35 | $16.00 | 17 March | 5 May |
| Weekend supervisor | 1 | 1 April to 30 September | 16 | $19.00 | 3 March | 25 March |
Add a column for "returner or new" so you can see at a glance how much training each role will need.
Train fast and keep people until the end
Seasonal staff need to be useful quickly, and you need them to stay through August, not drift away in July.
Keep training short and practical
Give each new starter a one-page guide to the essentials: opening and closing, the till, food safety or product basics, safety rules and who to call with a problem. Pair them with an experienced team member for their first few shifts. Save the deeper details for later in the season.
Schedule reliably
Publish rotas at least a week or two ahead, respect agreed availability and share shift swaps fairly. Seasonal workers often juggle studies, travel or second jobs, and a predictable schedule is one of the biggest reasons they stay.
Reward finishing the season
Consider a modest completion bonus, an extra perk or a strong reference for anyone who works through to the agreed end date. Say so in the offer, so the reward is part of the deal from day one.
Pro tip
Hold a short end-of-season chat with each seasonal worker. Ask what worked, what was hard and whether they would come back next year. Keep a list of "would rehire" names and contact details, and your February messages next year will be easy.
Your seasonal hiring checklist
- Review last season's busiest weeks and staffing levels
- Map shifts by day and work out total hours needed
- Message last year's best seasonal workers about returning
- Check minimum wage, overtime, young worker and right to work rules
- Write a job ad with dates, hours, pay and perks
- Post the ad locally and on student job boards
- Run short structured interviews and paid trial shifts
- Send written offers with clear start and end dates
- Prepare a one-page starter guide and safety briefing
- Publish rotas early and plan an end-of-season reward
Frequently asked questions
When should I start hiring seasonal staff for summer?
Many businesses start planning in February or March and advertise by early spring, so new staff can be trained before the first busy weekends. The exact timing depends on when your season starts and how competitive hiring is in your area.
Do seasonal workers get the same rights as permanent staff?
In most cases they have the same core rights on minimum wage, working time, health and safety and fair treatment. Some benefits and protections depend on length of service, so check the rules in your country or state.
Can I keep good seasonal workers after the season ends?
Yes. If business allows, offer reduced hours, weekend shifts or a permanent role. Even if you cannot, staying in touch makes it much more likely they will return next year.
Related reading
The bottom line
Seasonal hiring goes best when you start before you feel busy. Use last year's data to plan shifts, check the employment basics, write ads with clear dates and pay, and keep the selection process quick and fair. Then train practically, schedule reliably and give people a reason to stay to the end.
Spend an hour this week filling in the hiring plan template and messaging your best returners. By the time the first warm weekend arrives, your team will be ready for it.
