Retailers Already Hiring For The Holidays
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - While most people across North Texas are probably not in the holiday spirit quite yet (It is not even October!), retailers are getting ready for the rush of shoppers. Businesses have started hiring more employees to deal with the holiday crowds, but many are not hiring as great a number of people as they did last year.
How can you be sure to land one of these holidays spots?
Some companies are bringing in an additional tens of thousands of employees across the nation. But they are not all in brick-and-mortar stores. Dig a little deeper and look for jobs associated with online shopping – like in shipping. Experts say that those positions can be overlooked by other job seekers.
Online shopping is expected to be a huge business again this year. But getting those jobs could take a little bit of creativity, experts said. "Go to warehouses. Go to distributors. Go to small truck delivery types of businesses," said PM Digital CEO Chris Paradysz.
Also, even though the holiday sseason is still months away, start looking for the jobs now. Many businesses have already started searching for their seasonal work force. Macy's is planning to hire 78,000 workers. Toys R Us announced plans to hire 40,000 people. Best Buy is also a popular holiday shopping destination, and looking to add employees.
"Most retailers are being very careful about their hiring," said expert John Challenger, the CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "They're going to hire a core work force, and a lot of that hiring is going on right now, and will so on into October. Then they're going to hire a second work force – a flexible work force – of people that they can call in if the traffic is stronger."
Job seekers also need to express a desire to help out retailers no matter what the holiday season may bring. "If you can say that to that retailer, 'I'll work when you need me,' that might allow you to get your foot in the door. Maybe you start out working late evenings or on a weekend," Challenger explained. "But as they begin to see what you are about, they may also adjust your hours to what you would need to fit into your schedule."
Finally, do not be discouraged by the idea of "holiday workers." Experts say that, in many cases, those seasonal jobs provide an opportunity – a launchpad – and those temporary positions can quickly turn into full-time work if management is happy with your holiday job performance.
