Call Centers May Face a Problematic Holiday Staffing Season

Staffing for both call centers and retail has been in a state of flux recently, and it’s not about to get any better now that the holiday season is coming. Companies that cater to holiday shopping are ramping up to support the shopping rush, and what’s a tricky situation in ordinary years is likely to become extraordinarily difficult. With the cost of living soaring and workers in high demand, it’s not a surprise that holiday workers are looking for more remuneration and consideration before they consider taking a temporary holiday job.

A recent survey by staffing giant PeopleReady found that 60 percent of people are looking for seasonal employment in addition to their current jobs, and 18 percent of those seasonal job seekers are looking for their first seasonal job. Schedule flexibility is top of mind among this year's holiday job seekers.

Specifically, workers are looking for flexible hours (23 percent), with is second only to supplement their current income (53 percent).

Workers also express that finding a job that meets their needs (43 percent), getting more hours (28 percent), and scheduling issues (18 percent) will be their greatest work challenges this holiday season. To attract and retain workers, employers need to proactively address these challenges.

Nearly half of workers (47 percent) say the holidays are the most stressful of all work seasons, indicating that employers who make it easiest to find and accept jobs will have an edge in the competition for workers. Many job seekers are turning to job search apps to find work. In fact, 88 percent of survey respondents said they were likely to use a mobile app to find temporary work this holiday season.

"Right now, job seekers are looking for flexible scheduling and more control over their job search," said Taryn Owen, President and COO of PeopleReady owner TrueBlue. "Companies that leverage mobile apps to make their hiring process easier have an advantage over their competitors. Apps offer job seekers instant access to local jobs and give employees the ability to choose the jobs that fit their schedules during the busy holiday season."

Call centers, though, may have an advantage over retailers and others looking for seasonal workers. Cloud contact center solutions allow them to hire seasonal agents anywhere. At the same time, the same technology enables them to offer more flexibility to their workforce.

Edited by Erik Linask