Festive Season Hiring: Planning Temporary Staff for Peak Demand

Start with last year. Look at sales, orders, footfall or call volumes during the same festive window and compare them with a normal month. If you do not have clean data, ask your supervisors which days felt overwhelmed and why.

Translate the expected load into headcount by role and shift. For example, if a picker normally handles a certain number of orders per shift and you expect roughly double the orders, you need about double the pickers for those weeks, plus a buffer for absenteeism. Many employers plan a 15–25% buffer because some temporary hires will not turn up or will leave mid-season; treat this as a planning assumption, not a rule.

Also look at which days your permanent staff will be away. Festival travel home can leave you short exactly when demand is highest, so include expected leave in your headcount calculation.

• Which roles see the biggest jump: pickers, packers, delivery, billing, sales, support
• Which dates and shifts are the true peaks
• How many existing staff will take festival leave
• Buffer for no-shows and mid-season exits

Work backwards from the first peak day. Temporary staff need time to apply, be screened, complete documents and get trained. If Diwali is your biggest week, your hiring should be largely done a couple of weeks before it.

Remember that your own permanent staff will want leave to go home for the festival. Approve leave early and plan cover, rather than refusing everyone at the last minute and risking resignations.

1. 18 weeks before: forecast headcount and budget, approve staff leave
2. 26–7 weeks before: post temporary jobs and activate referrals
3. 34–5 weeks before: screen, interview and make offers
4. 43 weeks before: collect documents, issue letters, plan uniforms and IDs
5. 51–2 weeks before: train, run a trial shift, finalise rosters
6. 6Peak: daily check-ins and quick replacements
7. 7After peak: planned exits, settlement and feedback

Candidates for seasonal work want to know three things: how long, how much and when they get paid. Put the start and end dates, shift times, daily or monthly pay and payment frequency in the first lines.

A sample line: "Temporary packers for festive season, Bhiwandi warehouse. 15 October to 15 November. Day and night shifts available. Pay around ₹550–₹700 per day, paid weekly. Free meals on shift." Treat the figures as an example only; set your own based on local rates. BetterJobs helps you post quickly from a one-line description, and jobs go live on BetterJobs and Google Jobs so they are seen by people searching nearby. You can also hire temporary staff directly for peak periods.

Festive hiring needs volume, so use several channels at once. Ask current staff to refer friends and relatives, with a small bonus paid if the referral completes the season. Contact people who worked with you last year; they need the least training and already know your rules.

College students on vacation, people between jobs and workers from nearby areas looking for short-term income are all good pools. Walk-in drives on fixed days can process many candidates quickly. On BetterJobs, applicants have verified mobile numbers, which makes calling and confirming large numbers of candidates more practical.

You cannot run three rounds for 50 packers, but you should still check the basics. A short phone screen followed by a practical test on site works well for most front-line seasonal roles.

Check availability for the full period, willingness to work the required shifts, travel distance, and basic job skills. For billing and sales roles, a short role-play or billing test is enough. For delivery, check the licence, vehicle papers and smartphone familiarity.

Keep a short scorecard for each candidate covering availability, attitude, practical test result and travel distance. When you are interviewing dozens of people in a day, a quick written score avoids confusion and helps you pick the most reliable people.

• Can you work every day from the start date to the end date?
• Are you available for night shifts or weekends if needed?
• How will you travel here and how long does it take?
• Have you done similar work before? Where?
• Do you have the required documents ready?

Every temporary worker should get a short written letter stating the role, start and end dates, pay, working hours and notice terms. Collect ID and address proof and keep attendance records. If you engage people through a contractor or staffing agency, make sure the agency follows its legal obligations and pays on time, because problems will affect your reputation too.

Statutory benefits such as PF and ESI can apply to temporary employees depending on coverage and wages, so do not assume they are exempt. Daily or monthly pay must not fall below the applicable minimum wage. The Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 are changing several definitions, so check current rules with a payroll professional or the latest official notification.

Temporary staff need to be productive within a day or two. Keep training short, practical and visual. Show, then let them do it under supervision. Focus on safety, the three or four tasks they will do most, quality checks and who to ask for help.

Laminated one-page guides, short videos shared on WhatsApp and a buddy from your permanent team speed things up. Run a trial shift before the rush begins, so problems with scanners, billing logins or uniforms are fixed before peak days.

During the rush, hold a five-minute huddle at the start of every shift: targets, any changes and safety reminders. Track attendance daily and call absent staff immediately. Keep your standby list ready to replace drop-outs quickly.

Pay on time, especially if you promised weekly payment. Delayed pay during the festive season, when workers have their own festival expenses, leads to mid-season walkouts. Provide water, meals where possible and proper breaks; long festive shifts are exhausting.

Assign one supervisor per group of temporary staff so everyone knows whom to report to. Recognise good effort during the rush, even with something small like a shout-out in the shift huddle; it keeps morale up through long weeks.

Tell temporary staff the end date at hiring and remind them a week before. Settle all dues promptly and give a short experience letter on request. A respectful ending makes people willing to return next year.

Note your best performers in a simple list with their contact details and roles. Some may be worth offering permanent positions, and the rest form next season's first call list. For ongoing flexible needs, our part-time staff guide covers year-round options.