Seasonal demand is a major factor in many light industrial sectors, and an adaptive staffing strategy is critical to ensuring that demand is being met properly.
While many organizations can withstand seasonal peaks and valleys, they often do so at the expense of missed opportunities, excessive labor costs, lower quality, and lower customer satisfaction. Rather than simply coping with seasonal changes, your company can easily incorporate some flexibility into its staffing strategy. The result can be offsetting the negative impacts of seasonality, or even, taking advantage of opportunities that weren’t available previously.
The Unpredictability of Seasonal Demand
The most basic approach to handling seasonal demand is looking at previous seasonal data and making plans based on that information. While the same seasons roll through every year, that doesn’t mean your business will see the same amount of demand as in the past.
If your seasonal demand is based on annual holidays, those holidays can switch days, weeks, or even months in some cases. Seasonal demand could also be impacted by weather. If a major storm affected your business last spring, the data from that period won’t reflect the demand during next spring. So, while historical data can be useful, it doesn’t tell the whole story. This is why forecasting seasonal demand is often done using a wide range of factors, including historical data.
There are also there factors to consider when trying to predict upcoming seasonal demand. In the short term, your company may have brought new products or services to market. There could also be larger economic factors at play, such as high inflation. Long-term trends can also affect seasonality. In particular, the ongoing effects of climate change are forcing many industries to adjust their outlooks in preparation for our new normal.
Preparing for the Unexpected with a Flexible Staffing Strategy
Given the many factors at play, it is critical to prepare for seasonal fluctuations with a flexible staffing strategy. Your company can do this through a number of different strategies, from cross-training employees to hiring seasonal workers.
Cross-training
If you train your employees to take on your responsibilities, it incorporates additional flexibility into your workforce. Cross-training allows you to redistribute a workload based on demand changes. It also gives you contingencies if employees with certain skills suddenly become unavailable.
Leverage Technology
Automation isn’t just for factory floors. Most companies are using it to handle everything from security to administrative work. If your company isn’t taking advantage of automation capabilities in the software it’s already using, then it is missing out on a whole host of benefits, from greater flexibility to greater productivity.
Using a Seasonal Staffing Solution
Using a temporary or seasonal staffing solution is a proven way to adapt your staffing strategy for seasonal shifts. A trusted staffing partner can help your company quickly identify candidates who can work on a short-term basis. A staffing partner can also help you bring back seasonal employees, making them more effective each time they return.
We Can Help Your Company Take Advantage of Seasonal Swings
At Key Resources, we have many years of experience helping companies handle the peaks and valleys of seasonal demand. If your company is currently looking for a better approach to seasonal staffing, please visit our ‘Request an employee’ page to get in touch.
