The busy season is upon us, and you may be planning additional staffing to match. Alongside recruitment, it’s worth considering how new team members will settle in, who will support their training and where cross-training could help with seasonal demand.

Balancing growth with financial reality

Planning staffing around seasonal demand means balancing the cover you need with the costs your business can carry. Start with anticipated bookings, planned leave and your existing team’s availability, including whether anyone would welcome additional hours, before deciding where you need to recruit.

Building a workforce that flexes with demand is critical. Cross-training plays a central role here: when your barista can step onto the floor, or your bar staff are trained to support the pass during busy service, you’re covering gaps but also building resilience. It takes more effort upfront to train people across multiple roles, but that investment pays off as insurance against staff shortages and sudden drops in demand.

Strategic recruitment planning

Think beyond the obvious staffing gaps. While you’ll naturally identify where you need more hands, consider the less obvious pressure points that emerge when scaling. It’s not always about more kitchen or front of house staff – it’s also about who’s managing the increased admin load, who’s handling the extra cleaning, or who’s got time to properly support the new hires (and hopefully the strategy isn’t that it all falls on you). Map out the ripple effects of increased volume on all aspects of your operation.

Start your seasonal recruitment early when possible. Ideally, you’d start this process 6-8 weeks before you need additional staff. This gives you time to be more selective, train properly, and build that flexible workforce structure.

That said, we know it’s not always possible to plan perfectly. Sometimes demand picks up faster than expected, or you lose key staff at short notice. If you’re working to a shorter timeframe, focus on what will give you the biggest immediate impact. Prioritise hiring for your most critical pressure points first, and where you can bring back previous seasonal workers who already know your systems. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable with the right approach.

It’s a new season, give your advertising messaging a once-over. You know the importance of good job ads, but it’s worth reviewing what you’re actually communicating in the current market. Be clear about the role, the hours available and what your workplace offers. Consider whether your standard job description still reflects what today’s workers are looking for, particularly around flexibility and workplace culture.

If you’re considering a fixed-term appointment, our fixed-term employment agreement template is available free to members. Our Helpline team can also help you check whether this type of agreement suits the role you’re planning.

Building your induction framework

Making time for induction alongside day-to-day service takes planning. A clear training schedule, with someone responsible for supporting each new team member, can help you cover the essentials consistently as the season gets busier.

It’s still important to create dedicated training time. This might mean accepting slightly higher labour costs in the short term, but it’s essential for long-term success. If you can, schedule your new staff to start before it gets busy, even if it means carrying extra labour costs for a week or two. If they are starting when you are already in the thick of things roster experienced staff specifically for training duties during these periods – it costs more upfront, but it will help to ensure the new team member gets up to speed faster.

Pair each new team member with a seasoned employee. This mentor system serves multiple purposes: it gives your new hire a go-to person for questions, provides your experienced staff with leadership development opportunities, and ensures knowledge transfer happens consistently. Choose mentors who are genuinely enthusiastic about teaching others.

Don’t overwhelm new hires by teaching them everything on day one. Break training into logical modules – basic safety and hygiene, customer service fundamentals, specific role requirements, and advanced skills. This allows people to build confidence progressively and helps you identify any learning gaps early.

Managing the integration process

As we’ve said, where possible, have new staff start during quieter periods so they can learn without the pressure of peak service. However, ensure they experience some busy shifts during their training period – you want to identify how they handle pressure before you’re completely dependent on them.

Schedule regular check-ins with new team members during their first month. Ask specific questions about their training, workload, and any concerns they might have. Early intervention can prevent minor issues from becoming major problems later.

Planning recruitment, allowing time for training and checking in with new team members can help your team settle into the season. Review how things are working as demand changes, and adjust your staffing and support where needed.