Three-quarters (75%) of businesses are concerned about finding enough extra staff for Christmas, according to new research.
A survey of 1,000 UK small- and medium-sized businesses found that nearly four in five (76%) were expecting a busier festive period than in 2023, with nearly two-thirds (65%) looking to recruit more staff than they did last Christmas.
According to online recruitment platform Indeed Flex, the increased demand for workers this Christmas explains why as many as 58% of firms are starting the hiring process earlier than last year.
Four in five (80%) businesses said they were recruiting for full-time positions, while 27% needed part-time staff. There was also strong demand for full-time (30%) and part-time temporary workers (26%).
Despite the government’s plan to partially ban zero-hour contracts, two-thirds (66%) of larger firms surveyed said they planned to offer them to new employees this Christmas.
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Nearly half (48%) of all firms said finding the right staff was their biggest recruitment challenge over the festive season, while 40% said managing employees’ holiday requests was their prime concern.
Increased salary costs (38%), organising staff rotas and shift patterns (36%), and retaining staff (32%) were some of the other key issues.
The importance of solving these recruitment challenges was highlighted by the fact that more than three-quarters (77%) of businesses said the Christmas period is their most important sales period of the year.
Novo Constare, CEO and co-founder of Indeed Flex, said: “Hiring extra seasonal workers will address immediate labour shortages and ensure that firms are able to take full advantage of the busy festive season.
“This approach may also help to ease financial pressures heading into next year, when the increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions will take effect.
“The tax hike will be a shock to many businesses and it means they will have to manage staff costs even more tightly to keep a lid on expenditure and protect profits.”
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