The calendar just flipped to October, and if you haven’t started your holiday hiring yet, you’re already behind.
Many companies scramble to fill positions in November. However, this can only make your recruitment rushed and inaccurate. Begin your interview and train the new seasonal workforce ahead of time. This way, you stay ahead of the curve.
The difference between planning and waiting until the last minute can significantly impact your operations—and possibly cause chaos when peak season arrives.
Why October Is Your Make-or-Break Month for Warehouse Staffing
Most warehouses see order volumes double—or even triple—between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. But here’s what catches managers off guard: it takes three weeks to get a new warehouse worker fully productive—and that doesn’t include sourcing, interviews, onboarding, and other possible obstacles.
Someone you hire in mid-November won’t hit their stride until December, right when you need experienced hands the most. Starting your seasonal workforce planning now gives you time to:
- Screen candidates properly instead of panic-hiring.
- Complete background checks without rushing.
- Train workers on your specific equipment and systems to increase efficiency.
- Identify top performers worth keeping after the holidays.
The Hidden Costs of Waiting Too Long
Overtime Explosion
When you’re short-staffed during peak season, your regular crew picks up the slack. Those overtime hours often cost 50% more than regular wages based on the Fair Labor Standards Act.¹ Not to mention, the emotional, physical, and mental toll it has on each employee. In short, hiring temporary workers now is cheaper than paying overtime later.
Burnout and Turnover
Nothing drives good workers away faster than mandatory 60-hour weeks. You’ll probably hear more people calling in sick or making mistakes, even when they didn’t have these records in the past. The worst thing that could happen is losing them—along with the valuable skills, training, and investment you made throughout the months or years of engagement.
Missed Deadlines
When burnout spreads across the floor, you can expect missed deadlines. One delayed shipment can damage customer relationships. This can even penalize late deliveries with hefty fines or ruin future contracts with clients. In the end, a simple issue of staffing shortage becomes a financial and possibly PR disaster.
Your Holiday Hiring Action Plan
Stop feeling overwhelmed and start taking action. Here’s your week-by-week roadmap to get fully staffed before the rush hits.
1. Week 1-2 of October: Assess Your Real Needs
Start with last year’s peak numbers, then add a buffer. Warehousing keeps scaling up—Oklahoma grew from 18,000 warehousing jobs in 2015 to 40,000 in 2022—so even if seasonal surges look similar, the baseline demand is higher every year.² Amazon applies this approach directly, planning 250,000 holiday hires in both 2023 and 2024, showing how last year’s peak is often the most reliable benchmark for the next season.³
Depending on your actual need, calculate how many additional workers you’ll need for:
- Receiving and pick/pack operations
- Shipping and returns processing
- Weekend and night shifts
2. Week 2-3 of October: Launch Recruitment
Cast a wide net using:
- Staffing agencies, like Horizon America, that provide pre-screened candidates.
- Job boards that specifically target warehouse workers.
- Employee referrals with hiring bonuses.
- Previous seasonal workers who are familiar with your operation.
You can also make job postings stand out by highlighting specific perks and benefits like:
- Hourly rates
- Flexible work schedules
- Potential for permanent positions
- Weekly pay
- Transportation assistance
3. Week 3-4 of October: Accelerate Screening
Speed matters, but don’t sacrifice quality.
- Conduct group orientations regularly—preferably, twice a week.
- Use video interviews for initial screening to save time and speed up the process.
- Start training immediately after conditional offers, like drug tests or background checks.
- Run background checks in parallel with reference checks or onboarding paperwork.
4. Early November: Final Preparations
With your seasonal team in place:
- Cross-train workers on multiple stations to ensure they’re equipped to handle other tasks.
- Assign mentors to new hires to help share knowledge and expertise.
- Build your on-call list for emergency coverage.
Why Temp Staffing Solutions Make Sense
Temporary workers offer flexibility you can’t get with permanent hires. You can scale up for a few months, then scale back down without severance or unemployment claims. Additionally, staffing agencies handle payroll, benefits, and workers’ compensation—allowing you to focus on operations.
The best temp workers often become your best permanent employees. Think of peak seasons as extended working interviews where you can evaluate workers—often under pressure—before making long-term commitments.
Red Flags That You’re Already Behind
- Your HR team is still “finalizing” the staffing plan in October.
- You’re hoping last year’s seasonal workers will “just show up.”
- Your budget doesn’t align with last year’s labor hours increase.
- You haven’t contacted a staffing partner yet.
If any of these sound familiar, act immediately.
The Horizon America Advantage
When you’re racing against the clock, you need a staffing partner who moves fast. Horizon America delivers pre-screened warehouse workers within 48 hours of your request. And that’s because we maintain a ready pool of experienced candidates who’ve already passed background checks and drug screenings, cutting your onboarding time in half.
We specialize in localized labor solutions for light-industrial and manufacturing operations, including:
- Warehouse, sanitation, produce, and packaging staffing
- Fast, personalized temp and temp-to-hire services with a ready pool of pre-screened workers
- 24/7 support year-round to help you meet sudden demand spikes
Our account managers work around your schedule with 24/7 availability. Whether you need 10 workers for Monday’s shift or 100 for a month-long project, we have the network to deliver.
Staff your workforce before the year-end rush with Horizon America.
The warehouses that thrive during the holiday rush aren’t lucky—they’re prepared. While others scramble in November, you’ll be fine-tuning a trained team. While others pay crushing overtime, you’ll have adequate coverage. While others lose customers to late shipments, you’ll build loyalty through reliable service.
Ready to build your seasonal workforce before the rush? Contact Horizon America today. With our 24/7 service and next-day staffing capabilities, we’ll ensure you have the workers you need before your competitors even start looking. Reach out now to discuss your peak season staffing strategy.
References
- “How to calculate overtime pay.” Automatic Data Processing, https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/h/how-to-calculate-overtime-pay.aspx. 8 Sep. 2025.
- Farha, Chase. “Oklahoma’s Warehousing Boom: Spending Shocks and Their Implications for Workers.” Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, 22 Sep. 2023, https://www.kansascityfed.org/oklahomacity/oklahoma-economist/oklahomas-warehousing-boom-spending-shocks-and-their-implications-for-workers/
- McLymore, Arriana. “Amazon to Hire 250,000 Workers for Holidays, Same as Last Year.” Reuters, 3 Oct. 2024, https://www.reuters.com/technology/amazon-plans-hire-250000-workers-holidays-same-last-year-2024-10-03/
