Peak season is underway, and early signs indicate a familiar divide. Some operations are well-staffed and run smoothly. However, others might be showing signs of slowdown—scrambling employees working overtime with managers looking for last-minute help. It’s already falling short. The difference comes down to learning from past experiences and not repeating the same mistakes.
As we move through 2025’s seasonal recruitment cycle, it’s not too late to adjust—and it’s definitely not too early to plan for 2026. Employers who run into challenges this year are likely making predictable missteps that innovative planning can prevent next time. Here are the seasonal hiring lessons 2025 is already teaching us that can strengthen staffing strategies for 2026.
What Could Go Wrong in 2025 (And How to Fix It for 2026)
Emerging patterns from this year’s seasonal hiring highlight three failure points that will cause problems for many employers if left unaddressed.
The October Surprise That Wasn’t
Many employers are discovering—again—that November is too late to start recruiting. By the time they need workers on the floor, the most qualified candidates have already accepted positions elsewhere with better schedules and pay.
The fix for 2026 is simple: begin hiring in September, not November. A two-month head start allows for proper screening, hiring, and training. Instead of panic hiring, employers gain the advantage of a strategic workforce plan.
The 5-Minute Onboarding Disaster
In a rush to get people on the floor, some operations are cutting onboarding short. “We’ll train them as they go” often turns into “Why are error rates so high?” The result is predictable—untrained seasonal workers making expensive mistakes, creating safety hazards, or quitting when they feel set up to fail.
According to Gallup, only 12 percent of employees believe their employer did a great job in onboarding them.¹ This leaves a lot of room for improvement for most companies. And if you’re rushing onboarding, it might not benefit your company.
For 2026, the forecast is clear: proper onboarding must be built into the timeline and budget. Yes, it requires paying workers before they’re fully productive, but that cost is far less than shipping errors, damaged goods, or workers’ comp claims from preventable accidents.
The Temp Worker Throwaway Mentality
Another risk in 2025 is treating seasonal hires as disposable. Employers invest in recruiting and training only to let strong workers go once the season ends. That leaves them starting from scratch next year—facing the same shortages and costs all over again.
Studies show that temporary workers tend to disengage as their contracts near expiration.² If you have already found a strong candidate, make sure to nurture your relationship with them. Forward-looking employers identify their best seasonal performers for conversion offers, keeping in touch with those who might return next year, and building talent pools rather than discarding them.
Read more: From Paychecks to Pathways: How Employers Can Win Talent with Career Growth, Not Just Salaries
Staffing Strategies 2026: Building on Success
How can you ensure your operations thrive next year? Here are the intentional strategies worth carrying into 2026.
Create Retention-Focused Environments
Employers who keep seasonal workers through the entire peak period save significantly on replacement costs. Winning strategies include:
- Providing clear schedules two weeks in advance
- Recognizing strong performance publicly
- Maintaining clean and comfortable break rooms
- Ensuring safety gear is fitted correctly and readily available
These small but deliberate investments in worker experience can already boost retention and productivity. The key is being intentional in supporting workers, regardless of whether they’re permanent or temporary.
Build Flexible Capacity Models
Instead of trying to hire an exact number of workers, successful operations incorporate flexibility into their plans. A reliable seasonal core team is supplemented with an on-call pool for surges, while cross-training ensures workers can shift roles as demand changes.
Being flexible and creating a buffer prevents understaffing or overstaffing your teams. It keeps your workforce at optimal levels without constantly worrying over the exact number of staff you need.
Learn more about building agile workforce models in our white paper: Entering Peak Season: Combining Operational Agility and Risk & Safety
Measure What Matters
Employers ahead of the curve track more than just headcount. They’re paying attention to:
- Time from application to productive work
- Weekly retention rates
- Cost per hire, including turnover
- Performance differences by sourcing channel
- Conversion rates from seasonal to permanent
These metrics reveal which strategies actually deliver results, guiding better decisions in 2026.
Applying 2025’s Lessons Throughout 2026
The problems that surface during peak season—rushed hiring, poor onboarding, high turnover—don’t disappear the rest of the year. They quietly drain efficiency and margin even in quieter months.
That’s why you can apply peak season lessons year-round:
- Treat every hire as potential long-term talent. Whether in January or November, invest in training and engagement.
- Build flexibility into permanent staffing models. A trained part-time or on-call pool helps cover absences, special projects, and ramp-ups.
- Track and analyze metrics continuously. Use slower months to refine processes, strengthen training, and prepare for the next surge.
- Budget for total staffing costs. Factor in recruiting, onboarding, turnover, and errors to make retention investments look cost-effective.
Build your success in 2026 with Horizon America.
At Horizon America, we know peak season success doesn’t happen by accident—it’s the result of thoughtful preparation. That’s why we’re already helping employers plan for 2026 with flexible staffing strategies that keep operations running smoothly when demand surges.
Our team connects you with pre-screened, safety-conscious workers across light industrial, warehousing, manufacturing, logistics, food processing, packaging, and electronics. With reliable temp and temp-to-hire options, you’ll have the workforce you need—without stretching your permanent team to the breaking point.
When you partner with Horizon America, seasonal staffing becomes predictable, efficient, and built for long-term value.
Ready to make 2026 your smoothest hiring year yet? Contact Horizon America today to start planning early and secure the dependable workforce your business needs.
References
- “Why the Onboarding Experience Is Key for Retention.” Gallup, https://www.gallup.com/workplace/235121/why-onboarding-experience-key-retention.aspx. 12 Sep. 2025.
- “Why and When Temporary Workers Engage in More Counterproductive Work Behaviors with Permanent Employees in Chinese State-Own Enterprise: A Social Identity Perspective.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Jun. 2022, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9265596/
