‘Tis a Stressful Season: Holiday Hiring Has Employers Competing for Top Talent

A lot has changed since 2021.

Back then, employees were leaving retail in droves, and employers were struggling to find enough people to work in their stores.

But now, all that seems to have changed. With the holidays around the corner, employee interest in seasonal work has rebounded to its highest level since 2019.

That’s according to a  report from Hiring Lab, an economic research team from Indeed, that found that seasonal job searches were up 33% from the same period last year. 

Not only are pandemic fears are down, inflation is up– and the struggle to make ends meet is unfortunately playing a role as well.

Back in September CNBC reported that 85% of Americans had changed their spending habits due to inflation, and that 57% of Americans were seeking additional part-time roles as a result.

Those stats bear out in a recent  2022 Holiday Hiring Report, published by Snagajob, one of the country’s largest marketplaces for hourly jobs and shifts, in October. According to their survey, 25% of job seekers surveyed were already working multiple jobs, and still having difficulty paying the bills. 

Of the 3,700 hourly workers surveyed, 54% of respondents told Snagajob, in no uncertain terms, that they were looking for additional work because they weren’t getting enough hours in their current role.

(For more insights from Snagajob, check out our conversation with  Founder and CEO Matthieu Stevenson on our podcast, Bring It In, here!)

Still, with 2 job openings for every 1 job seeker, workers remain in the driver’s seat. Even as many of the same forces driving interest up, drive employer demand down, a survey of senior executives by software platform Multimedia Plus found that recruiting was still a top challenge ahead of the holiday season.

As a result, many employers are looking to benefits and perks to lure candidates. Strategies range from advertising higher wages, flexible hours, and employee discounts. 

But while some turn to swag and perks, others are turning to tech like 1Huddle.

1Huddle is a game-based coaching and development platform that uses neuroscience and the power of play to get workers ready for day one—whether they they’re a maid at Loews Hotels or a pilot in the U.S. Air Force; and  now, in the fight to win talent, it’s become  top brands’ secret weapon.

The platform is an innovative way for brands to set themselves apart from the competition; attract applicants, identify qualified candidates, and engage talent in new and exciting ways.

“Brands using 1Huddle are supercharging their recruiting efforts just by utilizing quick-burst games to review an applicant’s performance,” said 1Huddle CEO Sam Caucci. “With this process, employers can cut their hiring efforts in half while also ensuring the candidate learns a company’s culture and showcases their skills to the employer.”

With one brand seeing a 66% increase in applicants in half the time, not only has the platform been effective in getting more people to apply—it’s also been a critical tool to ensure that the right people get hired.  

1Huddle games provide valuable insights into applicants before they’re invited to interview. How an applicant responds under pressure or how many times they’re willing to replay a game are all potential indicators of how well they adjust to hectic situations—whether that means interfacing with holiday diners or Black Friday shoppers.

This will be especially important for the major retailers that have announced significant cuts to their seasonal hiring, with Walmart announcing in September, that it would hire 40,000 employees ahead of the holiday season – just a fraction of its 2021 hiring target of 150,000 seasonal associates–  and Macy’s that they planned to  hire 41,000 seasonal workers down from 48,000 in 2021.

“1Huddle is the key to innovating the hiring process,” Caucci said. “Without having to spend time scheduling dozens of interviews that eventually fall through, Recruit gives hiring teams the peace of mind they’re hiring the right person the first time.”

About 1Huddle

1Huddle is a coaching and development platform that uses quick-burst mobile games to more quickly and effectively educate, elevate, and energize your workforce — from frontline to full-time.

With a mobile-first approach to preparing the modern worker, a mobile library of 3,000+ quick-burst employee skill games, an on-demand game marketplace that covers 16 unique workforce skill areas, and the option for personalized content, 1Huddle is changing the way organizations think about their training – from a one-time boring onboarding experience to a continuous motivational tool. 

Key clients include Loews Hotels, Novartis, Madison Square Garden, PIMCO, TAO Group, and the United States Air Force. To learn more about 1Huddle and its platform, please visit 1huddle.co.

Media Contact:

Dana Safa

dana@1huddle.co