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With seasonal employment, internships, and graduations, summer presents a strategic recruitment opportunity for employers. Moreover, summer is the peak season for many businesses, potentially prompting them to hire more staff to meet the increased demand. Summer is an ideal time for employers to review their attraction and retention efforts for high-quality talent, whether for seasonal or long-term employment.
Here’s how to attract and retain employees this summer.
Summer Attraction and Retention Tips
Many individuals’ schedules open up during the summer due to school or college breaks or vacation time from work. This allows people to frequent more businesses, which may, in turn, require employers to increase their staff to meet demand. Additionally, many college students are graduating or seeking internships during this time, while others may be looking for seasonal employment, resulting in an influx of potential employees.
Employers should consider these tips for attracting and retaining talent.
1. Plan Ahead
Employers often find themselves scrambling to hire workers without a proactive strategy, which can lead to high turnover, poorly trained employees, and increased costs due to rushed staffing and overtime.
Employers should anticipate seasonal demand by analyzing past years’ hiring data and current market trends to avoid the last-minute summer hiring rush. The results from this data can allow employers to develop a forecast for staffing needs and potential worker retention.
These strategies can also be applied to year-long workforce planning, keeping employers prepared for potential staffing needs in the future.
2. Prepare for Seasonal Employment
Many people may be looking for temporary employment during the summer. Seasonal employees can help fill gaps in a business’s workforce without the employer having to hire full-time workers who may not be needed once the busy season ends. To prepare for seasonal employment, employers should consider the following strategies:
- Begin the hiring process early and target candidates who are actively seeking seasonal work.
- Utilize multiple hiring channels to identify candidates and thoroughly screen them to ensure they are of high quality.
- Maintain a relationship with seasonal employees so employers can reach out if needed in future years.
3. Focus on Generation Z
Generation Z (Gen Z) refers to individuals born between 1997 and 2012. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, this group is expected to constitute 30% of the U.S. workforce. Gen Z can also offer organizations new talent, in-demand skills, and creativity, driving innovation and efficiency. Additionally, many Gen Zers are high school or college students seeking summer employment. Therefore, employers must tailor their attraction and retention efforts toward this generation of workers.
Gen Z workers generally expect modern communication methods, meaningful work, and inclusive workplaces, and they value employer transparency and job flexibility. Therefore, to attract these employees, employers should emphasize the purpose and impact of their work, offer flexibility, utilize updated technology, provide regular feedback and recognition, and foster an engaging and inclusive culture. Offering career development opportunities can contribute to the longevity of these employees at a business, potentially turning a summer job into a career path and cultivating the future workforce.
4. Recruit From Colleges and Universities
In 2024, over a million people in their 20s earned a bachelor’s degree, and 352,000 completed an associate’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data for 2025 is likely to record similar figures. Considering these numbers and the fact that many of these students graduate in the summer, employers have an abundant talent pool to choose from. College and university graduates can introduce new perspectives and skills into a business, making them valuable employees.
To appeal to graduates and soon-to-be graduates, employers should establish a presence on campuses to strengthen the business’s brand. This visibility can generate interest in an organization and lead to employment opportunities, both in the summer and in the long term.
Employers can leverage several recruitment methods to attract as many graduates as possible. These methods include attending career fairs (both virtual and in-person), utilizing career platforms to connect with students, and cultivating relationships with faculty and career centers to obtain referrals and insights into potential candidates.
5. Consider an Internship Program
Internships can be attractive opportunities for undergraduate students, recent graduates, and graduate students to learn from on-the-job training and experience in their chosen field. These programs can last several weeks, a semester, a summer, or a whole year, offering a unique opportunity for both the intern and an employer looking to meet staffing demands. For example, a summer internship allows an employer to gain additional workers when they might need more staff to meet business demands.
Internship programs can help meet immediate staffing needs and build an organization’s talent pipeline. With internships, employers can attract, screen, and assess potential full-time employees while interns gain valuable experience and determine whether the organization is a good fit.
Conclusion
Summer brings a surge in business and a corresponding increase in available talent. Whether looking for seasonal workers or full-time employees, attracting and retaining employees in the summer requires a strategic approach. Every workplace may vary in terms of which efforts are practical. Still, the right strategies can enable organizations to meet their immediate staffing needs and lay a strong foundation for their future workforce.
© 2025 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.
GTM Can Help with Attraction and Retention
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