Companies hiring for the holidays

• By Debra Auerbach

CareerBuilder survey reveals more retailers hiring seasonal workers

Every year, it seems as though retailers are prepping for the holiday season earlier and earlier. Before Halloween even arrives, some stores have already started running advertisements or stocking their shelves with gifts for the winter holidays. While, for some, October may be a little early to think about the holiday season, it’s not too early for companies to start hiring for it.

Not only are companies beginning to hire for the holidays now, but they’ll be adding additional staff this year. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, 39 percent of retail hiring managers plan to hire seasonal workers this year, up from 36 percent last year and 29 percent in 2011. Employers in information technology (18 percent), leisure and hospitality (16 percent) and financial services (16 percent) also plan to hire seasonal staff.

“Seasonal employment is expected to be somewhat better than last year and can lead to more than just extra income for workers,” says Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. “Nearly half (49 percent) of U.S. employers who are hiring seasonal workers plan to transition some into full-time, permanent staff. This is up 10 percentage points over last year and indicative of a growing trend where employers are test-driving candidates before committing to a long-term hire. Seasonal work is a good way for job seekers to network, showcase their abilities and secure a permanent position in a variety of industries.”

Hot areas for seasonal hiring
Job seekers interested in seasonal positions should consider looking beyond just retail stores because there is a wide range of opportunities in corporate settings as companies wrap up the year. Popular positions companies will be recruiting for this holiday season include:

• Customer service — 33 percent
• Shipping/delivery — 18 percent
• Inventory management — 17 percent
• Administrative/clerical — 15 percent
• Sales (non-retail) — 12 percent
• Marketing — 9 percent
• Accounting/finance — 6 percent

How to find holiday jobs
If you’re a job seeker looking for seasonal work, try searching online job sites, going to a company’s website directly or visiting niche sites, such as WorkInRetail.com, that specialize in the types of jobs companies are often hiring for during the holidays.

You can also start your search now by checking out the below list of 14 companies hiring for the holidays:

1. A&R Transport
Industry: Transportation
Sample job titles: Regional truck driver, bulk transport truck driver, local truck driver, owner operator
Location: Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; Decatur, Ala.; Greater Chicagoland area; Jeffersonville, Ind.; Louisville, Ky.; Philadelphia

2. h.h. gregg
Industry: Retail
Sample job titles: Electronic sales, appliance sales, store manager
Location: Midwest, South, East

3. Hastings Entertainment
Industry: Retail (multimedia entertainment)
Sample job titles: Customer service associate, manager in training, manager
Location: Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming

4. Knowledge Universe (KinderCare Learning Centers, CCLC, Champions)
Industry: Education
Sample job titles: Teacher, assistant, site director, center director, area manager
Location: Nationwide

5. Melrose Family Fashions (United Fashions of Texas)
Industry: Retail
Sample job titles: Sales associate
Location: Dallas, Houston, Garland and Richardson, Texas

6. Mosaic Sales Solutions
Industry: Retail
Sample job titles: Merchandising specialist
Location: Nationwide

7. Premier Transportation
Industry: Transportation
Sample job titles: Regional truck driver, local truck driver, owner operator
Location: Atlanta; Chicago; Detroit; Indianapolis; Kentucky; Michigan; North Carolina; Ohio; South Carolina; Tennessee; Virginia

8. Shasa USA
Industry: Fashion/retail
Sample job titles: Sales associate, assistant manager, store manager
Location: California, Texas

9. Sykes Home Powered by Alpine Access
Industry: Call center, sales marketing, customer service
Sample job titles: Call center — customer service representative (entry level, work from home), bilingual Spanish-English customer service — work from home, video gaming user experience specialist
Location: Nationwide (except Arkansas; California; Hawaii; Massachusetts; Montana; New Mexico; Ohio; Vermont; Washington, D.C.)

10. Talmer Bank and Trust
Industry: Finance/banking
Sample job titles: Senior mortgage lender, bank teller, financial consultant, customer service representative
Location: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin

11. Teavana
Industry: Restaurant/retail
Sample job titles: Retail store manager, barista, tea associate, assistant store manager, sales associate, shift manager
Location: Nationwide

12. The Limited
Industry: Women’s apparel
Sample job titles: Store manager, sales associate, stock associate, floorset associate
Location: Nationwide

13. The Select Family of Staffing Companies
Industry: Staffing
Sample job titles: Production, forklift, picker/packer, machine operator/Computer Numerically Controlled machinist, customer service, on-site manager, assembly
Location: Nationwide

14. XPO Logistics Inc.
Industry: Logistics
Sample job titles: Account manager, senior account manager, team lead, sales representative, logistics coordinator, intermodal manager
Location: Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Cincinnati; Dallas; Houston; Jacksonville, Fla.; Richmond, Va.; Salt Lake City