Team is Key!
In my years in the ski industry, we would often joke about hiring warm bodies and then complain about the no-shows, the lack of initiative, and the list goes on. The problem may be exacerbated by Covid, the current state of the labor market, and our lack of clearly defining who we want to hire. You know already that hiring is going to be tough for this upcoming winter season. What I am sharing will not bring in more people, but it will help you hire the right people limiting the typical frustrations of working with seasonal staff.
The keywords are right, people. You, with your HR department, need to decide what that means. The trait I want to see is that the person I’m hiring is a true team player, especially now when staffing is tight. What are the characteristics of an ideal team player? There are three relatively simple traits – Hungry, Humble, and Smart. Note; by Smart, we mean emotional intelligence or better known as common sense.
By the way, these three traits should apply to current staff and especially leadership. We’d want to be a team player and have our leadership be team players, right?
I am including a guide for hiring the ideal team player. I believe it is self-explanatory, plus it is well proven and tested throughout industry. It provides a list of questions relating to each trait. The questions are oriented to more full-time and professional positions. Still, they can undoubtedly be reworded to apply to the hiring of seasonal staff, whether they be young or older. No matter what skill you are hiring for, the team criteria should be the number one requirement. I know, I have made the mistake of placing the talent above the team requirement, and the consequences were not pleasant for me, the company, and the employee. Hate to say, but I have made the mistake more than once.
There is no easy answer to solving the staffing issue the ski are industry will experience this winter. Making the best hires is the best thing we can do to deliver the product the skiing public is expecting. Use this tool to help you make your season as good as it can be.
