
Genevieve
Top 3 pieces information to ask returning workers in 2022
Make sure you collect the right information
Ask about starting times, roles and get general feedback
Track responses in spreadsheets
Tracking all your workers’ responses
Introduction
In this post, we explain that locking in returnees is about knowing which people want, on what jobs and when. To do this, you first need to design what data to collect. Once you do have that data, PICMI can easily sign up the workers locking them in.
We cover the data you need and the nature of the process you’ll use based on what real growers use. We hope you’ll see that three pieces of key information might be similar to what you might need. To help you design your own approach, we’ve also included a diagram to help you understand the total number of responses and combinations you are really tracking!
What/Who are Returning Seasonal Workers?
Returning seasonal workers are employees who have worked for a company in the past and are interested in returning to work for the company again. These workers may be interested in working for the company again because they enjoyed their previous experience, or because they are familiar with the company and the job. Returning seasonal workers can be a great asset to a company. They are a known quantity in terms of reliability and quality of work, and the company doesn't have to spend time and money on recruitment and training.
Are they different from non-returning (new) workers?
Seasonal workers are frequently familiar with the company and the job, which can save time and money on training. They might also be a known quantity in terms of dependability and work quality. Seasonal workers may also help you save money by having all of your necessary papers and paperwork already completed.
What are benefits of re-hiring (versus hiring)?
When it comes to hiring, saving time and money you have is crucial. It is helpful to have contact details for a known contact, in order to send them a request for labour and get a definitive answer quickly. You should lock them in at a head of time to predict demand and allocations out early. If you know of any shortages of labour in your area, this can be another incentive to try and re-hire your seasonal staff. Returning employees are a good source of suggestions for new employees (or "bring along their friends").
Make sure you collect the right information
One of the most significant distinctions between returning and new employees is that you're primarily concerned with their availability and what they desire. When you previously employed them, at that time, you assessed their suitability. Mostly, none of those conditions have changed and you now know they can do the job.
Once you have your candidate list against jobs, PICMI can be used to secure the workers against the roles you want using their email address.
Let’s quickly work through an example of what’s going on regardless of which way you choose.
Ask about starting times, roles and get general feedback
You are a grower who has people starting in one of two periods (in this case November and December) and also you need to know which role (of two) they want. That's two simple questions that lead to four options. You also want to get any feedback for improvements.
Also, knowing that they don't want to work is just as important so that you don't waste time. So we also need to know if the person doesn’t want to come back and also, just in case, provide the option to be contacted again in the following season.
Take a look at the data we capture when contacting a person to assess them. A couple of small questions that provide a lot of business knowledge.
Summary of Information to gather
Name | Question | Values | Description |
Interest | When are you available to start? | November December Sorry, next season I’m not coming back No response | These answers (first four) come from the worker. The last is from tracking the person. |
Role | What role do you want this season? | Thinner/Picker Thinner/Packer | These answers come from the user if they have picked that they want to come back. |
Feedback | We are always looking at ways to be better | | This answer comes from the user but there may be no answer—usually there is! |
Track responses in spreadsheets

Regardless of the approach, the data you need to save looks a spreadsheet and you need to record:
Person
Contact details
When contact was made
Answers to all the questions
Tracking all your workers’ responses
Some people like lists and some people like diagrams. So we’ve included a diagram of all of the combinations of all the responses our example is gathering. This might help you design your own approach. Just remember that often every new question adds more complexity. So think carefully before including in order to keep your approach simple. Take a look and see if that makes sense and then let’s get into the three ways you can do this!

Conclusion
Returning seasonal workers can be a great asset to your business, but it's important to make sure you're collecting the right information. In this post, we’ve outlined three pieces of explicit information to gather but also shown that tracking contact (or the inability to) is also important. You may want to read three different ways to collect this information.
PICMI perfectly fits with locking in those workers because it enables you to export details on your previous workers. Once you have contacted your workers, PICMI also sends a large volume of email invites to sign up returning workers. Finally, it allows you to track who has accepted and how many vacancies are remaining.
Good luck, and let us know if we can help!