Did you know?

• There are 18 Workforce Consultants (WFC) in communities across Alberta. WFCs provide employers with tools and resources to help them recruit, retain and strengthen their workforce.
• It’s important to plan early for seasonal hiring in Alberta! You need to consider identifying your peak periods, forecasting your staffing needs, and leveraging local job boards to attract candidates.

Seasonal Hiring

There are a range of considerations you can think about to be successful with seasonal hiring for your business. One of the first things that can improve your success is to assess how busy your business is through the year, how many staff you need during your busy times, and how you will recruit candidates.

• Understand Your Seasonal Needs
• Assess Peak Periods: Identify your busiest seasons. For example, the summer tourism season, holiday retail purchasing, or agriculture harvest times..
• Forecast Workforce Gaps: Estimate how many additional workers you’ll need during your peak periods and for how long. Don’t forget you’ll also need time to train new staff!
• Start Early: Begin recruitment planning 2–3 months ahead of peak season to ensure access to top talent. If you are hoping to take advantage of federal student/summer hiring programs, you may need to apply as early as November of the previous year!
• Attract the Right Candidates
• Target Local Talent Pools: Use Alberta-specific job boards such as the alis Job Banks, Job Bank Canada, and community bulletin boards. Also consider local social media channels/groups and websites.
• Engage Students and Youth: Partner with high schools, post-secondary institutions, and youth employment programs for summer or co-op positions.
• Offer Perks: Consider offering flexible scheduling, end-of-season bonuses, or staff discounts to appeal to temporary workers.

Hiring new staff, including for temporary seasonal positions, can take a great deal of time. Review your hiring process to see where you can make it more efficient and effective.

• Streamline Your Hiring Process
• Simplify Applications: Keep online applications short and mobile-friendly. Make it clear to applicants what information you require, and how to submit it.
• Pre-screen for Fit: Consider what skills and experience you really need for the positions. For example, focus on reliability, adaptability, and customer service skills rather than just years of experience.
• Speed Up Interviews: Consider conducting virtual interviews or group interviews to save time.
• Stay Compliant with Laws and Regulations
• Know the Rules: Familiarize yourself with Alberta Employment Standards for seasonal employees (e.g., hours, overtime, termination notice).
• Youth Employment: Review the specific rules for workers under 18.
• Temporary Foreign Workers: If hiring internationally, ensure compliance with federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) requirements.

Recruitment doesn’t end at an offer letter! To help your business and your new staff be successful, consider how best to onboard and train staff, as well as whether there are opportunities for seasonal staff to stay or return.

• Provide Effective Onboarding & Training
• Orientation Essentials: Cover safety protocols, customer service expectations, and job-specific procedures on Day 1.
• Training: In addition to job tasks and activities, make sure to consider whether new staff must receive any other specific training, such as a food safety or first aid course.
• Use Checklists: Creating a seasonal staff onboarding checklist to standardize the process can help ensure consistency and that staff do not miss receiving important information.
• Assign Mentors: Pair new hires with experienced employees to build confidence and efficiency.
• Retention Strategies for Seasonal Workers
• Recognition: Publicly acknowledge good work to boost morale.
• Opportunities for Return: Invite high performers back for future seasons or consider them for permanent roles.
• Exit Feedback: Conduct quick exit interviews to gather insights on how to improve the experience for future seasonal workers.

Articles of Interest

How to Hire Seasonal Employees (Indeed)

Strategic Tips for Hiring Seasonal Employees (Monster)

The Art of Hiring Seasonal Employees (Alberta Seed Guide)

Peak Season Preparation: Summer Staff Hiring (Indigenous Tourism Alberta)

5 Tips for Hiring Seasonal Staff (Canadian Institute of Food Safety)

2024: Alberta economy year-in-review

Employment regains ground

Economic Trends

HOT TOPIC: Tariffs – Understanding CUSMA compliance

Regional Events & Opportunities

• Upcoming Employment Standards Webinars:
  • Overview of Employment Standards in Alberta – Thursday, May 29, 2025 (1:30 PM)
  • Employment Standards in Alberta - Administration and Enforcement – Thursday, June 12, 2025 (1:30 PM)
  • Employment Standards in Alberta – Wages and Overtime – Tuesday, June 17, 2025 (1:30 PM)
  • Temporary Foreign Worker Advisory Office – TFW & Employer Rights and Responsibilities - Wednesday, June 25, 2025 (1:30 PM)
  • For more information, or to register for the above sessions, visit our website: www.alberta.ca/employment-standards-webinars
  • Request a presentation for your company or organization at: EOP.Presentations@gov.ab.ca
• The Rural Employers' Awareness on Diversity and Inclusion (READI) toolkit is a free resource to support employers across Alberta with the successful attraction, settlement and retention of newcomer employees. The toolkit has training materials, case studies, lessons learned from community engagement sessions, and sample workplace inclusion policies to support employers with their welcoming and inclusive workplace practices.
  • To request a copy click here
• Making changes Women in Tech program is considering expanding to the Red Deer area. If you are a business that hires to the following areas and are struggling to find staff, they want to hear from you.
  • Software Development & Engineering (e.g., full-stack development, mobile development, QA and testing, release engineering, DevOps/cloud infrastructure)
  • Data, AI & Experimentation (e.g., data analysis and visualization, data engineering, machine learning and AI)
  • Enterprise IT & Operations (e.g., enterprise architecture, IT asset management, cybersecurity)
  • Platforms, Integration & Automation (e.g., integration and API management, ERP and CRM platform management, knowledge management systems and tools)
  • Customer & Marketing Technology (e.g., UI/UX design, e-commerce development, digital marketing)
  • Operational Technology (e.g., IoT, edge computing)
  • Email stacey.v.gibson@accenture.com and she will set up a time to meet with you to discuss your needs.
• CAREERS, BILD, RDP and the Red Deer Construction Association, along with many other partners, are launching a trades camp this summer. Please share this information on this unique and all new program BUILDING SKILLS FOR TOMORROW SUMMER CAMP. If you are a business that might be able to help out with this camp in some way, you are invited to a participant information session, June 3^rd at 8:30am and the Red Deer Construction Association office. Click HERE to register
• Walmart Canada Growth Summit is taking place on July 9, 2025, in person in Mississauga, Ontario, for which small and medium businesses are greatly encouraged to apply to have an opportunity to pitch their products to Walmart merchants. The Summit is an exclusive opportunity for prospective suppliers to learn about Walmart Canada, its mission, and customers. The Summit is the first in Canada. Full details can be found in the attached document.