Peak seasons are make-or-break moments for retailers. Seasonal peaks like back-to-school and the winter holidays can make up as much as 30% of a retailer’s annual sales, according to the National Retail Federation, making flawless execution absolutely critical. It’s the busiest time of the year—every store needs to run like clockwork, and every person on the frontline becomes more critical than ever.
But success isn’t just about the numbers, it’s about the people who make those numbers happen — your frontline teams. Especially when onboarding a wave of seasonal hires, building a genuine sense of belonging quickly is the quiet key to winning.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to create that sense of belonging fast, helping your frontline stay engaged, motivated, and ready to deliver when it matters most, so you can make this upcoming peak season your most successful one yet.
People do their best work when they feel part of something bigger—connected to those around them and confident in their role. This is especially true for seasonal hires who join during the busiest, most hectic times. For these temporary team members, feeling valued and knowing their work matters is crucial. The challenge is that seasonal hires arrive when time and attention are limited, making it harder to foster belonging like with long-term staff. They need to feel part of the team quickly or risk checking out before they’ve truly contributed.
It’s a tough balance, but absolutely achievable. Leading U.S. mattress retailer Mattress Firm revamped onboarding and daily communications to keep large seasonal teams connected and motivated during peak periods. Their success shows that building belonging quickly is essential and achievable. Here’s how you can do it too:
Intentional Hiring
Bringing on people who truly believe in your brand’s values creates immediate alignment and sets new hires up for success.
Seasonal employees often join with little context and even less time, so hiring for culture fit—not just availability—is critical. When new hires connect with your mission from day one, they ramp up faster, stay motivated longer, and deliver better results.
Managers play a crucial role in shaping frontline culture. Their leadership style sets the tone for the entire team, especially during busy peak seasons.
Equipped with the right mindset and tools, managers can build trust through regular, brief check-ins and foster continuous growth by promoting real-time feedback and recognition, even in short-term roles.
Consistent, visible recognition helps keep teams engaged and motivated, especially when the pace picks up during peak season.
Making recognition a regular part of daily routines—whether through shoutouts in team meetings or quick peer-to-peer acknowledgments—builds a culture where people feel valued and connected, driving better performance even under pressure.
Tools that enable seamless communication and real-time recognition amplify your efforts to build belonging. YOOBIC makes it simple to keep teams connected, celebrate wins, and share important updates — even when frontline staff work different hours or across many locations.
Take Mattress Firm, for example. During peak hiring, they used YOOBIC to digitize onboarding and communication, keeping large seasonal teams engaged and motivated. Managers leveraged quick micro-check-ins and instant shoutouts to boost morale, while features like bulk task assignment and flexible store switching streamlined daily operations. This approach helped stores maintain high standards and stay ready, knowing every customer moment counts.
By making connection and recognition easy and visible, YOOBIC helps build resilient frontline teams who perform consistently, even under pressure.
Belonging isn’t a privilege, it’s essential for business success. Retailers who invest in building genuine connections with their frontline teams see real gains in engagement, retention, and customer experience. With your frontline team feeling valued and part of something bigger, you’re setting the stage for your most successful peak season yet.
Download our full playbook to explore all six proven strategies that help retailers like you drive operational excellence, empower frontline teams, and deliver flawless execution — every season.