Knowing — and satisfying — retail workers’ needs and priorities is the most effective way to hire top talent for seasonal work and turn them into long-term employees.
Indeed surveyed 750 U.S. US retail job seekers and 150 U.S. retail hiring decision makers to learn how both groups experience the retail job seeking and hiring process. In this report, we share our insights about how retailers can attract and retain seasonal workers by responding to what these job seekers want most.
The latest research
- U.S. retailers hire around 500,000 seasonal workers each holiday season, but for years they have found it difficult to attract enough talent during the busy end-of-year season.
- Tenure is short: 28% of in-store employees stayed at a company for less than one year, and another 23% less than two years — meaning that around half of retail employees leave within a maximum of two years working for a retailer.
What job seekers value most
- Fair pay is crucial: 48% — almost half — of retail job seekers are unsatisfied with their current salary or hourly wage, and another 23% were completely unsatisfied.
- Workers prioritize schedule flexibility: Hiring managers know work schedules and shifts are important to job seekers when considering new roles (85%) and 80% of job seekers agree.
How employers can broaden their talent pool
- Rising above minimum wage can make you stand out, as will other financial offers like sign-on bonuses and shift differential pay.
- Keep an eye out for transferable skills in your applicants, this can broaden your candidate pool and help you find the perfect addition to your team.