What specific traits do you look for in seasonal workers?

For 31 percent of employers who are hiring seasonal workers this year, great customer service skills top the list of most wanted skills in a seasonal worker they’d be interested in hiring full-time.

For its most recent survey, CareerBuilder asked more than 2,400 hiring managers about their seasonal hiring plans this year. According to the survey of over 2,400 employers nationwise, of those employers who are hiring seasonal workers in the fourth quarter of this year, 40 percent are likely to hire them as full-time, permanent basis.

Industry and Compensation Breakdown
Unsurprisingly, the top five industries where seasonal workers will be most in demand this season are retail; customer service; administrative/clerical support; shipping and delivery; and hospitality.  As for pay plans, while some hiring managers (13 percent) reported plans to increase pay for seasonal workers compared to the same period last year, 14 percent are planning a decrease.

• 48 percent of hiring managers plan to pay seasonal workers $10 or more per hour
• 9 percent plan to pay $16 or more per hour
• 32 percent plan to pay between $8 and $9 per hour
• 19 percent plan to pay between $6 and $7 per hour

Planning to hire seasonal workers? Check out these tips from an earlier post on hiring seasonal workers. (Or read the full post: ‘Tis the Season: 7 Tips for Hiring Seasonal Workers)

1. Start recruiting for seasonal positions now to get first dibs on top seasonal talent.
2. Implement screening questions in your application process to weed out some of the unqualified applicants and cut through some of the resume clutter.  
3. Make personality a priority when interviewing. You need employees who can stay calm in stressful situations (like dealing with frantic holiday shoppers and tight deadlines).
4. Recruit from college campuses. College students – with their flexible schedules and high energy – make ideal candidates for seasonal positions. 
5. But don’t discount retirees, either. Like college students, retirees have flexible schedules, but they also have years of valuable work and life experience that they can apply to several different positions.
6. Remember to check references. You may be short on time, but it’s in the best interest of your company to ensure that your candidates have references who can attest to their performance, professionalism and character.
7. Hire for the short term, with the long term in mind. As long as these employees are working for you, they’re representing your company, so treat them just as you would full-time employees.