What you should know before applying for a Christmas job

After a Covid ravaged Christmas in 2020, there’s little doubt that Christmas 2021 is set to be a big one as friends and family look to come together and make up for the time spent apart over the past two years. It’s believed that on average a household in the UK spends £740 more in December (compared to other months) on presents, Christmas lunches/dinner, and so on so of course, businesses large and small are therefore gearing up for their most profitable part of the calendar.

And for that, they need man/woman power.

In order to meet the massive pressures on-demand from Christmas shoppers, businesses across all sectors will be looking to expand their workforce. If you’re therefore looking for an additional source of income or are currently unemployed, now is the perfect time to start job hunting as there are many generous short-term roles available. 

Amazon for example are offering £3000 signing-on bonuses as they look to make up a 20,000 shortfall in staff ahead of Christmas, with all hands needed to staff their vast distribution network – those with experience in HGV driving or supply chain management are sure to get a warm reception. 

Supermarkets likewise are going to be virtually under siege throughout December and many have already put out the call for workers. Aldi are aiming to recruit 1500 new staff, Morrisons 3000, John Lewis 7000, Sainsbury’s 22,000, Tesco 30,000, in stores all across the country in what’s almost an arms race of recruitment. 

The point is if you’re willing and able to work, there’s lots out there for you to provide cash and experience.

With so many organisations keen to recruit though, it can be overwhelming knowing which ones to apply for. If your sole aim is to make money, then chances are you’re best going with those who are offering to pay the most. However, we were curious about the other aspects of what makes a role satisfying and an employer good to work for.

Therefore using data from Glassdoor reviews, we’ve been plotting some of the UK’s most well known Christmas employers and the feedback which they’ve received from their current and former employees. We focused on whether or not these employees would recommend their employers to a friend who was seeking work, and filtered the results to look at the thoughts of those who are on the frontline of dealing with Christmas demand.

Below are a number of brands who operate stores in shopping centres and high streets across the country. Please note that this list is not exhaustive and focuses on those who have put out a prominent call for staff to see them through the festive season.

Both John Lewis and The Entertainer are offering various perks if the pay is not your sole reason for taking a job. For example, John Lewis is offering “free food and drinks to Partners and temporary workers from 4 October to 31 December” so if you’re relying on such work to put food on the table, maybe this opportunity is best suited for you at the moment. 

It’s also important to keep in mind the number of stores each brand operates as it’s easy for a handful of bad apples to spoil the bunch and drag the overall review score down. A lower score doesn’t necessarily mean these are companies to be avoided at all costs, rather just something to keep in mind as you view your options.

To get various items where they need to go in time, a large fleet of delivery drivers are needed. We looked at the reviews left solely by the drivers who have worked for the UK’s largest driving firms, and here’s the results.

If delivery driving and transportation are where you want to head, then Royal Mail and UPS were by far the two most highly regarded employers. None of the others were able to receive a positive recommendation from more than half of their reviewers.

As previously mentioned, supermarkets are looking to recruit on a grand scale this Christmas. If you’re happy to put up with the escalating onslaught on the shelves as December 25th draws closer, maybe one of the following could have the ideal job for you.

For each of the above, the good news is that they are all just about to command a positive recommendation by the majority of their retail staff. Things are bound to be somewhat stressful no matter where you work, so an ability to keep calm under pressure is bound to come in handy in any type of employment.

If you’re particularly interested in your dress sense and that of those around you, then clothes shops will be keen to have your talent. Here’s how the staff of some major UK outlets scored their place of work.

Of particular interest here is the fact that TK Maxx mentions in their job descriptions that they consider themselves to be “a great learning environment”. It’s really important that employers are keen to treat their temporary staff as full team members and not solely as a resource to be exploited, so their position atop these rankings isn’t unsurprising.

Just because a job may be listed as being a seasonal position, doesn’t mean that the window of opportunity is completely closed once Christmas is over. If you’ve displayed a strong work ethic and a positive attitude (not to mention that you’ve performed your job well), then there’s a chance that a manager or someone else within your employer’s organisation will ask you to stay on for longer. Or if you’ve developed a good relationship with them, it’s well worth asking whether they have any room for you on a permanent or longer-term basis. Even if they don’t, then the simple fact that you asked is a sign of your positive attitude and can lead to you being considered first should a similar vacancy come up in the future.

What’s also key is that an employer should be keen to help you develop your employable skills, which is particularly valuable if you’re lacking in qualifications or experience for your CV. Writing a CV can be difficult at the best of times, but work of any sorts can give you something useful to include.

If you’re assigned to moving stock around a warehouse, that requires you to listen effectively and process instructions, whilst being organised and working to deadlines. Operating a till requires technical knowledge and effective communication to provide a good level of customer service – the point is that any job gives you skills to shout about. Even if you don’t end up working for the same employer that hired you over Christmas, the knowledge that they can and should offer you can be a really positive game-changer in your job hunt throughout the new year.