For many retailers, hiring seasonal colleagues is a Christmas tradition. It’s a great way to cope with increased footfall, not to mention a chance to find permanent team members for the new year.
Seasonal colleagues always play an important role, but this year their contribution will be vital. UK job vacancies are at a 20 year high, leaving many retailers short-staffed for the festive period. Experts are also predicting an unusually harsh flu season, meaning that absences are likely throughout the winter.
Stores have responded by ramping up their seasonal hiring. Tesco has announced that it will take on 30,000 seasonal workers, and Asda will hire a further 15,000. Overall, UK retailers are expected to hire 100,000 temporary colleagues in the run up to Christmas.
With thousands left unemployed by the pandemic, these new jobs are a cause for celebration. However, taking on so many new colleagues at once will create practical challenges. New hires will need frequent guidance as they settle into their roles, and this can be hard to provide when numbers are tight. This is where we can help.
VoCoVo is designed to make the onboarding process as smooth as possible. Here’s how:
Training made easy
The biggest challenge when hiring new colleagues is finding the time to train them. In the past, this meant removing an experienced colleague from the floor to conduct a training session. This could happen multiple times as new hires arrived, leaving you consistently short-staffed.
VoCoVo solves this problem by enabling effective on-the-job training:
- Headsets allow experienced colleagues to partner up with new hires and explain each task in turn
- The hands-free design means they can continue to work as they do this
- 87% of companies agree that training new hires in this way speeds up the onboarding process
How VoCoVo makes training a doddle:
Easy access to knowledge
Training is an ongoing process. You can teach new colleagues the basics in a single session, but fresh challenges will always crop up. New hires may be reluctant to ask for help for fear of being a nuisance, and this can cause unnecessary mistakes. Our headsets solve this problem by making it easy to share knowledge:
- Colleagues are connected at all times. If a new hire is unsure about something, they can contact an experienced colleague at the push of a button. Because headsets are hands-free, they don’t have to worry about interrupting someone’s work.
- Full duplex technology means that conversations feel as natural as face to face speech. It’s less daunting to ask for help when it feels like a casual chat.
- Our conference feature allows you to set up separate channels for specific areas of knowledge. This allows new colleagues to get help more effectively. Rather than asking everyone, they can go straight to the experts every time.
A sense of independence
58% of employees prefer to learn at their own pace. Guidance is important, but you don’t want new hires to feel smothered. Our system is the perfect compromise. Colleagues can work independently, knowing that help is still there if they need it:
- Personalised voice reminders allow you to gently remind newer colleagues of important tasks. This could be anything from restocking a fridge to activating the alarm system before they go home. Colleagues can also set their own reminders, furthering their sense of independence.
Make new employees feel welcome
Onboarding isn’t just about teaching new employees the ropes. It’s about making them feel part of the team. 37% of employees say that teamwork is very important, and studies show that retention is 4.5 times higher when colleagues can collaborate effectively.
This is sometimes easier said than done. During busy periods, it can be hard to find the time for a team huddle or an extracurricular activity. Our headsets offer the next best thing. Employees can communicate at all times, keeping team spirit alive even when they are working separately.
Speak to our team for more tips on making the most of this Christmas: