Confident Leader

5 tips to get the best from casual staff


As the holidays approach and we feel invigorated to face the final weeks of the year, for many businesses this time means hiring casuals.  In a few weeks there will be school leavers, holiday backpackers and others who will be seeking employment over the coming months. So how do you prepare your team for them and how do you engage them to get the best out of them?

In business we are constantly hearing and promoting ‘team work’ and ‘team values’, but when it comes to casuals do you include them?  And how?

I know of some managers who say, “they are only here for a short stint so why put the effort in”.  If you want your business to prosper during this time and for customers to come back well after the holiday season has finished, you need to make the time to include them. Here are five tips on how to build your whole team:

1. Induction


2. Training



Buddy them up with one of your existing “superstars” in the workplace and encourage them to ask questions (it’s the best way of learning).

3. Introductions

Have a staff meeting and introduce them to the whole team.  It’s a great way to plan for the busy times ahead, ask questions, make suggestions and share ideas.  A team that is focussed and engaged in providing the best service experience to every customer is a team that works well together and has customers returning and referring.


4. Engaging your customers

There is more to customer service than just saying hello and handling a transaction, it’s all about the experience and making it an interaction.  Who are your customers and do you have tourists visiting your business?  If you do, are you aware of who speaks another language on your team, even the junior casual maybe learning a language at school, sure they may not be able to hold a long conversation (or perhaps they may) but they can at least welcome overseas tourists.  How often do we love to hear another Aussie voice or even someone welcoming us in English (even if it’s their second language) at the end of long day of touring when overseas and you just want to order a meal without trying to decode the menu!

5. Answering questions and empowerment

Tell the casual what to say when a customer asks a question and they may not know the answer.  Do they know who to go to on the team to ask if you are not there?  Customers expect every team member to know the answers, even if they have a “trainee” name badge on, customers don’t want to hear “I don’t know” with a shrug of the shoulders or a glazed look, like a deer caught in the headlights.



About Michelle Pascoe

Michelle Pascoe is a Professional Speaker, Trainer, Coach & Author who lives and breathes her passion for customer service, mystery shopping, and team motivation. She is an experienced businesswomen and specialist in every aspect of service operations and processes, and their impact on the customer experience. As an international speaker and accredited trainer and assessor, Michelle combines her extensive experience and specialised knowledge with an absolute commitment to igniting the potential in each and every individual so they can achieve outstanding results.

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  1. Pingback: 5 TIPS ON HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM YOUR CASUALS – Michelle Pascoe

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