Holiday retail sales are likely to increase between 4% and 6% in 2022, according to Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast. eCommerce sales will grow by 12.8% to 14.3%, year-over-year, during the 2022-2023 holiday season.

Due to recent inflation, budgeting is top of customers’ mind this season. Brands are having to be strategic about their Q4 hiring forecasts and distribution of talent. Some areas brands are digging into for hiring are:

• The number of roles to fill vs. the number of people to hire.

• When to hire (now vs. later as customers are starting holiday shopping now.)

• Peak weeks vs. peak days (Customers are forecasted to be less interested in Black Friday and boxing day deals and more focus and multi-day discounts over the season.)

• Diversifying the support needed for all channels of service for the customer to maximize ease of purchase and quality service (forecasting the needs for DTC, BOPIS, and in store success and hiring to those needs vs. historical holiday hiring forecasting.)

With current and anticipated customer purchasing trends throughout the season, the second week of October could be considered a bit of a delay for Q4 hiring. However, creative, strategic, and focused brands can still hire optimal talent in time for the holidays. 

1. Get creative in how you connect with your market talent. As we head into the holidays, retailers are focusing on creativity and strategy with their hiring and marketing efforts. Brands across the country are hosting company hiring events and are taking to their corporate blog posts to communicate their seasonal hiring strategy with full transparency. We are also seeing an increase in brand partnerships beyond hiring but in a way that could drive talent interest. For example, Howard Meitiner, managing director at Carl Marks Advisors said  that retailers that have “increased their visibility through strategic partnerships, will benefit in terms of sales from such exposure (Neiman’s/Farfetch, Toys R Us/Macy’s, Amazon/Kohls, Ulta/Target etc). This is a winning strategy when the partnership adds value to both parties.”

2. Meet your talent where they are. Store signage, flyers at the local coffee shop, and job postings on your website’s career page are classic ways to let talent know you are hiring, but these are no longer the most effective way to grab the attention of your talent. More brands than ever have turned to virtual hiring tools and social media strategies for hiring. Brands are tapping into passive interested talent by meeting them where they are, on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.

3. Consider referral incentives this season! We believe that good people know good people. Encourage your employees and customers to support your hiring efforts by offering a Referral Bonus Program! The return on asking for referrals can be good, but the return when incentivizing referrals is better!

If you’re ready to grow your retail team for the peak season and could use a helping hand, connect with us or shoot us an email at info@emergingblue.com!

References & Additional Sources:

Kohl’s Prepares for the Holidays with Seasonal Hiring Across Stores and Supply Chain (kohls.com)

Remote Work, Quiet Quitting May Make Holiday Hiring Difficult For Retailers (forbes.com)

Holiday Retail Forecasts and Predictions for 2022 | RIS News

How retailers are hiring for the holidays in 2022 | Retail Dive