Estate sales get busier in seasons like spring and summer. As a seller, it's important to have a good plan for managing extra help during these times. This article will show you how to find, train, and manage seasonal staff so everything runs smoothly when things get hectic.

Finding and Recruiting the Right Seasonal Staff (including Freelancers and Gig Workers)

A successful busy season starts with hiring the right people. Begin looking for staff early, ideally in February, to give yourself plenty of time. You can use platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, and Upwork to find part-time and seasonal workers. Don't forget to consider the growing gig economy! Many freelancers are eager to take on short-term, seasonal roles, offering a flexible and often specialized workforce. Platforms like TaskRabbit and Freelancer can connect you with individuals who have specific skills, such as photography, marketing, or specialized estate sale consulting. By considering both traditional recruitment methods and the gig economy, you'll have access to a wider pool of potential candidates and can find the perfect fit for each role. Offering flexible hours can attract people who want to earn extra money during the busy season.

Training for Success

Training your seasonal workers ahead of time is key to avoiding problems when things get busiest. Create a simple training program that covers the important stuff, like the tools and established processes you have in place. For example, how to catalog and photograph items for sale, uploading inventory to websites for promotion, setting up for in-person sales, the common questions and help customers require, and how to answer. Creating help guides or filming a training session to use as a training video, can save time and make sure everyone gets the same information, especially if you have multiple locations.

Clear Expectations and Communication

Transparent communication with seasonal staff is essential. Right from the start, explain what you expect from them, what their goals are, and how you'll measure their performance. It's also vital to talk about what happens if things go wrong, like what to do if they need to cancel their shift at the last minute, and what happens if they don’t show up. Have a backup plan, such as training workers to do more than one job, keeping a list of local freelancers, or using websites that connect you with people for short-term jobs to fill any sudden openings.

Flexible Schedules

Estate sales often need people to work weekends and evenings, so being flexible with schedules is important. Think about using rotating schedules, where seasonal workers can switch shifts with each other. You could also let people choose shifts based on when they're available, which helps you have enough staff without making people work set hours. If someone needs even more flexibility, you could offer short-term contracts or pay them for specific projects, especially for jobs that only need to be done at certain times of the year.

Rewards and Motivation

Keep your seasonal workers happy and motivated during the busy season by offering rewards. These could be bonuses for top performers, extra time off, being able to arrive late or leave early, or a pay scale that gives people more money if they stay through the whole busy period. Giving credit where it's due is also really important for keeping morale up. Regular feedback and rewards help create a team that's excited to help make your estate sales successful.

Getting ready for the busy season means more than just filling open positions. By being clear about what you expect, offering flexible schedules, having reward programs, and thinking about using short-term workers, you can build a motivated and reliable team to help you manage the busier months. Planning ahead, starting in February, will help your estate sales run smoothly and be successful during the times when business is booming.