Holiday seasons reward the teams that plan early. Think forecast first, staff second, and measure everything. That is the big-box mindset Doug McMillon is known for at Walmart, and it maps well to the Q4 reality most employers face. As McMillon recently noted about what is drawing shoppers, “Those that have more discretionary income and want to save time are liking what we are doing with pickup and delivery.” Use that insight as your North Star: staff to the convenience your customers expect. The Washington Post
“Q4 is won before the rush starts. Forecast the work, then stage your hiring so quality and speed move together,” says Jeff Straub, Co-Founder, Catalyst Career Group.
Step 1: Forecast demand, then set hiring targets
Do not hire from habit. Hire to a forecast.
- Build three scenarios: conservative, expected, and stretch.
- Translate each scenario into headcount by function: customer facing, fulfillment, phone support, delivery, inventory.
- Pre-set wage bands and offer ranges now, including any shift differentials or weekend premiums.
- Work backward from key dates: first major promo, ship-by cutoffs, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, regional events.
McMillon has been direct about where e-commerce costs live. “One of the biggest costs that we have in our e-commerce businesses is for store-level wage investments to pick orders.” If your forecast expects more pickup and delivery, plan the labor for order picking and staging first, not last. Grocery Dive
Quick tool: a one-page Q4 Ops Brief that lists volume assumptions, wage bands, interview days, and the decision makers who can greenlight same-day offers.
Step 2: Cross-train your core team before you add headcount
Cross-training buys you coverage without overspending.
- Map the two or three roles each person can flex into during peak weeks.
- Train for the handoffs that slow you down: curbside to front of house, stockroom to line, online orders to pickup.
- Add simple job aids: how to greet, how to close a sale, how to handle a return, when to call a manager.
- Schedule short recovery breaks. Rested teams sell more and make fewer mistakes.
Aim to have cross-training complete by the last week of September. That gives people time to practice before traffic spikes.
Step 3: Hire in two waves, not one
Two waves let you stage onboarding and avoid blowing budget on overtime.
- Wave 1, late September. Fill operations and fulfillment roles first. These hires reduce bottlenecks as volume climbs.
- Wave 2, mid October. Top up customer-facing roles and any gaps you saw in the early traffic.
- Pre-book interview days and empower managers to make conditional same-day offers. Catalyst Career group can help with this!
- Track time-to-offer, show rate, and seven-day start rate. Move budget toward the channels that convert. Catalyst can partner with you on making this happen!
“The resume shows what someone has done. Their attitude in the interview shows who they really are. That is why live conversations matter,” says Jeff Naugle, Co-Founder, Catalyst Career Group.
Step 4: Treat Q4 like a logistics problem
Work backward from ship-by and promo dates. Walmart’s advantage is not just price. McMillon points to proximity and speed: “Being within 10 miles of 90 percent of America is a huge advantage.” Translate that thinking to your footprint, your delivery time promises, and your staffing plan for pickup, curbside, and last-mile support. Stratechery by Ben Thompson
- Lock schedules for the week before each key promo.
- Create Plan B coverage for weather or supply swings.
- Line up an elastic bench you can call for weekends and peak days.
Where Catalyst Career Group Fits Into Your Hiring Plans
Catalyst exists to accelerate everything above while keeping quality high. Mix and match services to fit your timeline, budget, and roles.
In-Person and Virtual Job Fairs
Meet and vet candidates live, on site or online. Every fair includes a promotion package, targeted job board postings, and post-event access to resumes. Ideal for Wave 2 when you need to add customer-facing talent quickly.
Private Recruiting Events
If you need qualified candidates fast and want them pre-screened to your requirements, we will source, screen, and schedule a slate of interviews at your office or via video. You interview and hire. No booth setup and no competition for attention. Perfect for Wave 1 operations and fulfillment roles.
Candidate Search and Placement
When an open role is draining productivity, our team can deliver a pool of targeted candidates in as little as two to five days. We focus on fit, convenience, and reliability. With contingent search, you only pay when you hire.
Host Your Own Virtual Job Fairs
Use our RecruitVirtual platform to run employer-branded events. Real-time text and video chat, mobile friendly, unlimited job listings, data exports to your ATS, and analytics you can act on.
Catalyst by the numbers: 90 percent of clients choose us for multiple engagements, typical turnaround for qualified candidate delivery is two to five days, and our recruiters bring 15 plus years of experience to each project.
Ready to move
If you want to hit September with interviews on the calendar and qualified candidates in your pipeline, we can help! Explore Job Fairs, Private Recruiting Events, Candidate Search and Placement, and Host Your Own Virtual Job Fairs, or go straight to a no-obligation 15 minute evaluation call.
Contact Catalyst Career Group at (815) 308-5426 or use the form at https://catalystcareergroup.com/contact/.