With less than seven shopping weeks left until Christmas, local retailers are scrambling to hire part-time and term staff to handle the extra demand brought on by holiday shoppers. Several large retailers report their demand for seasonal staff is up this year, and a low unemployment rate is causing extra work for human resources departments looking to fill the open positions.
Oakwood Mall general manager Kelly Goodwin said seasonal hiring is in full swing at the mall’s stores.
“Hiring really starts to pick up by the first of November,” Goodwin said, “and all of them are looking for help right now.”
Goodwin said the mall also is seeking several term employees for maintenance and housekeeping in addition to the openings at the mall’s retailers.
“We have a lot prep work to do before Black Friday in setting up displays, cleaning, we repaint the spots in the parking lot ... there’s a lot of things to be done to make sure it all goes well,” he said.
Seasonal employees are brought into the mall every year, but demand appears to be up this season, Goodwin said.
“I’ve had more of the stores come to me for assistance in hiring, so it looks like they may be hiring more this season,” he said.
Karen Spain, JCPenney store manager, reported she is hiring 10 more seasonal employees than last year, and there still are positions to be filled.
“We had 37 spots to fill, and we still need to fill probably a third of those,” Spain said.
JCPenney started its seasonal hiring in early October to allow time for associate training.
“It’s not just about the hiring process, it’s really getting them engaged in the products and the job,” Spain said. “We do a lot of training because we don’t want them to be like deer in the headlights when the holiday shopping really starts.”
Spain said most of the additional term employees being added this year are in floor customer service.
“We had such a positive response from our customer service last year, we really wanted to expand on that this year,” she said. “We could just hire more clerks, but we really wanted to expand on the customer service out on the floor.”
While all seasonal employees are hired on a term basis, Spain said the store always keeps “the best of the best” after the holidays.
“All they have to do is prove themselves, and if they show that they’re working up to the standards we expect of them, there’s no reason we wouldn’t keep them on after the holidays,” Spain said.
Enid’s large standalone retailers also reported an increased demand, and restricted supply, for seasonal employees this year.
Diane Monforte, personnel coordinator for Enid’s Walmart Supercenter, reported she is looking for 40 employees for permanent positions in addition to seasonal employees.
“I would tell anyone interested in a job that we’re hiring, and it’s not just for seasonal and part-time jobs,” Monforte said. She reported 40 permanent job openings, mostly in stocking, unloading, maintenance and cashier positions.
In addition to trying to fill those regular positions, Monforte is working to find term employees for the holiday rush.
“We definitely do bring on extra staff for the holidays, and I am still looking for people to fill at least 20 seasonal jobs,” Monforte said. She said the demand for seasonal employees is “more than usual.”
And, with a local unemployment rate of less than four percent, Monforte and other human resource managers are having trouble finding enough qualified employees.
“The unemployment rate in Enid is really low right now, so that can make it hard to find people ... we’re all squirrels going after the same nut,” Monforte said.
Doug Tilyard, general manager of Kmart in Enid, said he is “a little bit behind on the seasonal hiring process this year.”
He said he’s looking for “about the average” number of seasonal employees, but they have been slower in coming in to apply this season.
“We’ve gotten some hired, but normally by this time we would be hiring about 10 to 12 more people, and we still need to bring on about 20 people by Thanksgiving,” Tilyard said. “I would definitely encourage anyone interested in making a little extra money for the holidays to apply online or stop by and pick up an application.”
Tilyard also said he expects to keep some of his seasonal staff on permanently after the holidays.
“Of course, we can’t keep everybody because the sales drop so much after December, but we will keep a few of the best workers,” he said. “We will probably have opportunities for six to eight people to stay on full time after the holidays if they’re good workers.”
United Parcel Service expects a nearly 20 percent increase in its regional workforce for the holidays.
Matthew Skeen, western region employee communications supervisor for UPS, said specific hiring figures for Enid were not yet available, but the company expects to add 2,200 part-time and term employees to its regular work force of 11,700 in the Oklahoma and northern Texas region.
Skeen described the seasonal hiring expectations as “similar to previous years.”
Seasonal UPS workers require an average of one week of training, and most are “typically in place by Thanksgiving week,” Skeen said. Information on UPS job openings is available at www.upsjobs.com.
Like other employers, Skeen said UPS looks at all of their seasonal employees to screen long-term prospects.
“We definitely give all of those employees a chance to go through the interview process for a full time position after the holidays,” Skeen said, “and that can be a good way for us to identify good permanent employees.”
Barbara Schmidt, office manager for Enid Workforce Career Center, said progression from seasonal to permanent employment could be a good route for the unemployed to work their way back into a job.
Enid Workforce Career Center, the local office of the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, offers career counseling and placement services to the unemployed and underemployed.
“Seasonal employment is a great opportunity, because you can get your foot in the door with a temporary position and get some good work experience,” Schmidt said. “Even if there’s not a full-time position available, you’re still going to be out there in the workforce, networking with customers, with co-workers and other potential employers.”
She said working a seasonal job, even if just part time, can get the unemployed back into the routine of the workplace, and introduce them to new opportunities.
“The best way to find a job is when you have one,” Schmidt said. “You have a good self-image, you don’t feel deprived and you have a better outlook on life when you’re working.” And, she said, all of those positive attributes shine through when workers interview for permanent positions.
Enid Workforce Career Center, located at 2613 N. Van Buren, offers a resource room, fax and copy services, job skills assessments, counseling and help with building a resume for those seeking work.
Additional information and job listings are available through the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission at www.oklahomajoblink.com