Unwrapping Holiday Hiring

For retailers, a diligent and detailed vetting of applicants — including employment verifications, thorough interviews and comprehensive background checks — should be a standard part of any responsible hiring and candidate review process. At the best of times, this process can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. When retailers are looking to hire temporary or part-time seasonal help, especially for the holidays, the degree of difficulty goes up significantly.



Holiday hiring challenges can be formidable: retailers are under pressure to on-board help faster than they normally would for typical hires during other times of the year. And, because demand for that seasonal help is higher, there may be more of a tendency or a willingness to circumvent some of the standard policies and practices for screening, interviewing and vetting. When retailers feel like they do not have the opportunity to conduct a screening that is as diligent as they would prefer (and they would do if they had more time), they may simply bite the bullet and do what has to be done to ensure that a seasonal staffing shortage does not impact operations.



Stay ahead of the curve

One of the best ways to avoid falling prey to the holiday time crunch is simply to plan ahead. Retailers that can rely on their established recruitment and hiring strategies will be far better off than those that try to adapt or cut corners. To increase your chances of doing so, consider structuring your holiday hiring timelines in such a way that you are hiring ahead of the curve instead of engaging in an annual just-in-time scramble.



To the extent possible, allow sufficient time to bring new employees on board and perform complete background checks. As a general rule of thumb, allow at least three full days for a full background check on top of normal interview/review/hiring timelines.



Follow processes and procedures

Retailers should make every effort to stick with the proven processes they have in place to properly vet and screen potential employees. When a retailer is pressed for time and is dealing with tighter timelines, responding with a truncated hiring process is a natural, but problematic, response. Following established processes does not just mean conducting appropriately in-depth interviews and engaging in a detailed background check and employment verifications. It also includes collecting all of the required personally identifiable information and ensuring that applicants receive all of the proper notifications and disclosures and sign off on all the necessary consents.



There has been a tremendous amount of litigation (including some large class action lawsuits with significant financial penalties) aimed at large retailers for failing to provide the proper notifications and disclosures, and not getting consent in a timely manner during the hiring process. Consequently, employers who take shortcuts or get sloppy during the holidays are exposing themselves to not only subpar employees or security risks, but also potentially significant legal liability.



If at all feasible, consider automating the hiring process as much as possible. Automation can be a tremendous help when you are rushed, greatly decreasing the likelihood that steps will be skipped and providing verifiable proof that legal requirements have been fulfilled.



Conduct a cost-benefit analysis

The employment needs, security standards and potential exposures differ greatly between different employers. For example, a retailer that traffics in high-end luxury goods may have very different standards and priorities compared with a discount retailer or casual dining restaurant.



Some industries may be more cost sensitive, whereas a retailer carrying high-ticket items might be more wary of security issues and willing to expend more resources to identify high-caliber candidates and weed out potential concerns. These differences highlight the need for a sophisticated cost-benefit analysis when establishing hiring policies and procedures — not only during the holidays, but also year-round.



Do not neglect employment verifications

Employment verifications are sometimes as valuable (and, in some cases, even more valuable) than a criminal background check. Employment verification can confirm or cast doubt on an applicant’s candor and honesty, and can point to fraud or misconduct in the workplace.



The employment verification process is notoriously challenging at any time of the year. Far too many employers fail to conduct a thorough review and are too casual when it comes to checking or following up on submitted information. Go beyond simply confirming ‘rank, name, and serial number’ type employment verifications. Contact former employers and ask questions, speaking personally with former employers, making an effort to go beyond HR or Accounting and speak with direct supervisors if possible.



Avoid cutting corners

Some retailers hiring for the holidays might be tempted to just do a quick database search for criminal records or employment verification, and figuratively cross their fingers that those basic steps will be enough to get them through the holiday season without any major issues. But, an employee is an employee, and seasonal or part-time employees will often be in the same position as full time employees — presenting the same security concerns and the same potential to provide poor service or contribute to inefficiency. Retailers should therefore make every attempt to not cut corners during these processes.



Ancillary services, such as employment verification and education verification (and even checking criminal records overseas if the applicant has spent time abroad), should still play a part in the screening process. Employers who rely on an outside agency or service that provides them with temporary or part-time employees should not only confirm that the agency is performing diligent background checks, but might even want to consider asking for a copy of that information for record-keeping and review.



Mind the gaps

One potential holiday time-saver is to read resumes thoughtfully, focusing on potential red flags, such as a lack of clarity around accomplishments, performance or other details. Inconsistencies or gaps in the employment record can be revealing, and indicative of something that needs further exploration, inquiry or clarification. These are questions that should be addressed during interviews, and flagged or passed on to your security or screening partner.



Bear in mind, the holiday workforce has a higher than usual percentage of students and older applicants, so resumes may tend to look less polished and employment histories may be more erratic than is typical during other times of the year. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, it does highlight the need for vigilance in confirming that any gaps or inconsistencies are not the result of dishonesty or a lack of candor.

Jesse Berger serves as VP of employment screening for Pinkerton, the global historic risk management agency that provides a range of corporate risk management services — including security consulting, investigations, executive protection, employment screening, protective intelligence and more. For more information, visit Pinkerton.com.