The winter holiday hiring season poses special challenges for many retailers. Knowing that jobs are likely to be short-term, temporary spots, serious job seekers typically don’t respond to advertisements or job postings. However, retailers usually need to ramp up hiring in a major way during the last quarter of the year. Employment needs extend well beyond retail clerk positions, with companies looking to hire in package delivery, cybersecurity, and party planning. Trying to fill over 800,000 jobs in the short time before the Christmas holiday season demands creativity and stamina from recruiting experts.
Using contacts developed from customer loyalty programs and online shopping databases, retailers are reaching out directly to individuals who know and (hopefully!) like their companies. Advertising through social media can expand the candidate pool by attracting passive applicants or people who might not have considered seasonal work opportunities. But retailers are using social media in new ways, not simply for traditional job postings.
Crate & Barrel tweeted about job open houses for seasonal workers on the same feed that showed customers new product offerings. The Container Store, famous for its loyal customer base, sent nearly 2 million e-mails to customers who live within 20 miles of any of its stores. Knowing that customers are huge fans of their products, The Container Store hopes that even if the customer is not looking for a new or additional job, perhaps he or she will pass along the e-mail solicitation to friends. Children’s clothing chain Carter’s blasted e-mails to its customers inviting them to become “holiday helpers.” Beverages and More (BevMo) capitalized on visits to its website as customers looked for cocktail recipes. The company posted job advertisements on the same page as the recipes and increased applications by 66%. One of BevMo’s recruiters says that customers tend to be passionate about the company’s products, and the hope is that employees will demonstrate that same level of dedication and passion for their work.
Staffing up for the holiday season is typically limited to a few months out of the year; thus, it is highly competitive as many retailers compete for the same talent. Tapping into databases of customers who already know the products can be an effective way to target people more likely to apply and become successful employees. And a common advantage for employees is an employee discount that makes it even easier and cheaper to continue shopping at their favorite store!
Which of the following recruiting sources would be the most likely location for a retailer like Container Store to find many retail clerks for the holiday season?
Which of the following is the smallest group of potential recruits that Crate and Barrel can reach by sending a tweet about job openings to its customer base?
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| d. Labor force population |
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Tweeting job openings to customers is an example of
| a. using an internal recruiting source. | |
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| c. focusing on active job candidates. | |
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| d. using technology to recruit employees. | |
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