The fall season has only just begun, yet traces of the winter holidays are already emerging as job seekers and employers prepare for a holiday hiring rush, new reports suggest.

Managers in a variety of sectors foresee a holiday hiring surge this year, albeit amidst challenges. For job hunters, whether unemployed or looking for extra financial padding, now is the the time to apply for a holiday gig.

According to the job-search website Snagajob.com, 18 percent of managers started the holiday hiring process in August or earlier, while 27 percent started last month and 33 percent will begin this month. Based on a survey of 1,004 American adults responsible for hiring hourly seasonal employees, Snagajob found that 51 percent of hiring managers will add to their year-end staff this year, up 8 points from the recession peak in 2008.

According to the survey findings, which included responses from office/business, customer service, retail, health care, restaurant and other industries, this holiday period is forecast to be stronger than the last three seasons.

“We’re definitely seeing incremental improvements in the holiday seasonal job market, even if we haven’t yet returned to pre-recessionary levels,” Snagajob CEO Shawn Boyer said in an announcement of the findings. “What’s encouraging is that we have the same percentage of hourly hiring managers expecting to make seasonal hires as before the recession, and we are trending toward hiring the same number of workers as 2007 levels, about three-quarters of the way there.”

A separate survey, from global outplacement company Challenger, Gray & Christmas and focused solely on the retail sector, indicates that while retailers anticipate a hiring surge during the holidays, the number of seasonal employees is not expected to exceed last years’ 627,600 new hires between October and December.

As both sides of the hiring spectrum gear up for the season, job seekers and employers face unique economic challenges. Challenger, Gray & Christmas CEO John A. Challenger cites costs related to rent, energy and wholesale prices as reasons why retailers may not add more employees this year. Furthermore, some retailers, such as Discount Shoe Warehouse, will assign more hours to existing workers during the holidays.

“Of course, none of this should discourage holiday job seekers from conducting a search, starting now,” Challenger says. “Even if seasonal hiring is flat, we are still talking about an extra 620,000 being added to retail payrolls, beginning in October.”

Some of the nation’s leading retailers, including Best Buy, Zappos and Toys “R” Us, plan to hire thousands of temporary workers ahead of the holiday shopping season, CBS Moneywatch reports.

Beyond traditional department and retail stores, Snagajob recommends that seasonal job seekers consider applying for shipping companies, inventory positions, tax-preparation companies, craft stores, restaurants and even movie theaters.

Holiday job seekers may face stiff competition, as evidenced by extreme job-hunting tactics, but there are measures that candidates can take to ensure they have the best chances of snagging a seasonal gig.

Tactics advised by experts include showing enthusiasm and researching the company to understand the culture and dress code so candidates can make a great first impression.

An adjustable schedule also matters. “Many holiday jobs don’t require a particular skill, so employers keep a lookout for reliable, punctual, flexible workers who will step up to a task, no matter how demanding and no matter how long the hours,” Forbes explains.

Persistence is also key. “You may walk into a store one day and they’re not hiring,” Challenger says. “Walk in the next day, and they may have had an employee quit and plan to replace him.”

Managers, on the other hand, are advised to rethink their hiring strategies. For instance, employers should consider all age groups, stretching from college students on break to senior retirees, who may want a second gig, while adding optimized messaging to reach the right candidates, QSRweb.com advises.

According to CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of employers said they would not accept applications after October, something that might encourage job seekers to start their search sooner rather than later.

Resources

2011 Holiday Hiring Forecast Best in Last 4 Seasons
Snagajob.com, Sept. 19, 2011

Slowing Recovery Threatens Holiday Hiring
Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Sept. 19, 2011

CareerBuilder Survey Reveals Top Areas for Seasonal Jobs
CareerBuilder.com, Oct. 20, 2010

Holiday Jobs: 6 Companies Hiring Now
by Farnoosh Torabi
CBC MoneyWatch, Sept. 30, 2011

How to Get a Holiday Job
by Susan Adams
Forbes, Oct. 29, 2010

3 Steps to Successful Seasonal Hiring
by Amanda Richardson
QSRweb.com, Sept. 26, 2011

9 Secrets to Hiring Seasonal Workers
CareerBuilder.com

15 Companies Hiring for the Holidays
by Kaitlin Madden
The Work Buzz (CareerBuilder.com), Oct. 10, 2011