I Need Seasonal Staff
Seasonal Staff.
Plan ahead. We'll handle the rest.
Scale up for the peak season without the commitment.
Preparing for the summer surge, Black Friday or Christmas rush? We bring in the people you need, fast. Then wind down just as easily when the season ends.
The Situation
Seasonal Challenges
Some businesses run the same all year-round. Yours doesn't. Maybe you're a retail business, and Christmas is the busiest time of year. Maybe you're in logistics and August-September are your peak. Maybe you are in hospitality and the summer months bring double your volume.
You can't hire permanent staff for three months of extra work. It's not efficient to train them and then let them go. Plus, you can't operate short-staffed during your peak, when you make the most revenue.
With seasonal staff, you get the people you need, when you need them.
We cover it all
Which industries see the biggest seasonal peaks?
Retail and E-commerce
Black Friday/Cyber Monday, Christmas, Boxing Day, January sales, Valentine's, etc.
We supply staff in stores, warehouses and call centres.
Typical boost: 20-200 workers per client.
Logistics and Warehousing
August-September (post-summer) and November-December (holiday preparation).
We supply Pickers, Packers, Warehouse Operatives, Forklift Drivers and Supervisors.
Typical boost: 50-500+ workers per client.
Hospitality and Events
Summer holidays, Christmas, major events and festivals.
We supply Chefs, Servers, Kitchen Staff, Event Staff, Security Staff and Customer Service Representatives.
Typical boost: 10-100 workers per client.
Distribution Centres
24/7 operations need people when demand increases.
Typical boost: 100-1000+ workers per client.
Manufacturing
Q4 or major fulfilment.
We supply Production Operatives, Production Line Workers, Assembly Staff and Quality Inspectors.
Agriculture
Harvest season.
We supply General Labourers, Machine Operators and Supervisors.
Typical boost: Varies widely.
Not listed?
If your business has seasonal peaks, we can likely help.
Tell us about your season.
Step by step.
Timeline from planning to peak
How Should You Plan For Seasonal Hiring?
Being prepared for your seasonal peak involves strategic planning.
- 3-4 months before peak
(E.g. June for Christmas rush) You tell us what you need before things start ramping up: how many staff, which roles, and which skills. We start planning recruitment strategies immediately. - 2-3 months before peak:
Recruitment starts. We advertise the role and search our comprehensive database, screen responses and set up interviews. For high-volume hires (50+ staff), this is a critical time. - 1 month before peak:
Initial placements begin. Onboarding and training start. People are getting familiar with systems. Some start early to support the steady increase in demand. - Peak season:
You're fully staffed. We manage ongoing recruitment if you need to replace people mid-season. - End of season:
Contracts end. Staff are released on agreed dates. You wind down costs immediately. We handle the end-of-contract admin.
Why plan this way?
Last-minute hiring is stressful and expensive. Starting early means lower cost per hire, better-quality candidates, and proper training. You're less likely to be short-staffed.
Seasonal Hiring Cost
What's included:
- Recruitment and candidate vetting
- Background checks and compliance
- Payroll
- Holiday pay (if applicable to contract type)
- Onboarding, training and inductions
- Ongoing support and replacement if hires don't work out
Hourly Markup
Same as other temporary staffing, you pay an hourly rate per worker, plus expenses. The more people you hire, the more we can negotiate on cost per head.
Volume Hiring
If you plan on hiring 50+ seasonal staff, let's discuss your volume and budget.
Early Planning
If you start planning 3+ months ahead, we can usually offer better rates because we have more time to recruit, train and onboard efficiently.
What sets us apart
Work with Us.
We have systems built for peaks.
We don't treat high-volume hiring the same as single-hire recruitment. We have dedicated teams and processes for it.
We use multiple channels.
We don't rely on one source. Job boards, direct advertising, recruitment events, agency networks, plus our comprehensive database. We cast a wide net.
Onboarding at scale.
We help you design group induction processes, training schedules, and systems that work for large numbers. Typically: half-day to one-day inductions for seasonal workers.
We balance speed and quality.
You need people fast, but they need to be reliable. Everyone is still vetted and reference-checked.
We phase recruitment.
We don't hire everyone at once. Early hires start training first and later hires start just before peak. This spreads the training and onboarding load.
We think about retention.
Seasonal staff who return are better than new faces every year. We can help you plan retention bonuses, early re-contact for returning staff, and reliability incentives.
- enquiries@meridianbs.co.uk
- Head Office | Part First Floor, Dakota House, Concord Business Park, Threapwood Road, Manchester, M22 0RR
Frequently Asked Questions
Left FAQ's
Left FAQ's
When should I start planning seasonal recruitment?
3-4 months before peak is ideal. This gives you time to recruit, train, and avoid panic. You'll also get better rates and higher-quality candidates.
Can you recruit 200+ staff in one period?
Yes. We've handled many high-volume campaigns recruiting large numbers of people. It needs planning, multiple channels, and dedicated management. Let's discuss your needs and how we can support your next steps.
How do you find so many seasonal workers?
We use multiple channels, including our extensive candidate database, job board advertising, paid social and search campaigns, recruitment open days, job fairs, returning seasonal staff from previous years, geofencing and referral campaigns. The combined reach is large enough to fill most requirements.
Do you collect feedback?
We can gather feedback from seasonal workers about their experience. This helps us recruit similar people for the next peak and improve processes.
Right FAQ's
Right FAQ's
What if I don't know exactly how many staff I need?
That's normal. We help you estimate based on last year, growth projections, or industry benchmarks. Start with an estimate and you can adjust as the season approaches.
What if the peak season is shorter than expected?
Contracts are flexible. If you need to reduce staff early, let us know with notice (typically 1 week). You pay for hours worked.
What if I need to extend the season?
Tell us early so that we can keep your best staff available. Many seasonal workers welcome extended work if confirmed early.
Can you help design onboarding processes?
Yes. We've run hundreds of seasonal campaigns. We advise on induction, training schedules, and systems that work at scale. We can also facilitate group inductions.
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