Small Businesses Raise Ante in Quest for Seasonal Help

With small businesses facing major competition from bigger rivals during peak seasons, human-resources consultants are advising owners to follow inventive recruitment strategies, reports the Associated Press . Searches should focus outside of obvious areas like online job boards, and seek seniors and others who might be interested in temporary work. Business Training Works owner Kate Zabriskie says retirees can be an especially good source for small businesses to tap for seasonal help. "They might be interested in working in a small shop because they're different — they have a different vibe," she notes. The Navio Group's Carlos Castelan suggests small businesses should mull adopting some of the strategies used by the big companies, like offering workers signing bonuses. He also recommends giving seasonal workers the same benefits accorded to regular staffers, such as paid time off.