With holiday spending expected to be higher this year, service industry managers are gearing up to hire more seasonal frontline workers. But in a poll by Axonify, managers said applicants are not fully trained and qualified for the positions.

In a survey of 450 retail, hospitality and food service frontline managers in the U.S., researchers at Axonify found that 44 of respondents “are hiring more new workers this year because they need additional support, or their current staff lacks specific skills needed to support seasonal demand.” The research also revealed that 61 percent of frontline managers polled “admit that the quality of applicants is worse this year when it comes to skill set, professionalism and job-related experience.”

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Axonify’s survey also revealed that staffing issues is the number one thing that keeps managers up at night. Authors of the report noted that the recruitment and training of seasonal workers is often the responsibility of frontline managers, “which is leading to increased burnout as nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of frontline managers say they struggle with overwhelm leading up to peak work seasons, like the holidays.”

It’s not simply about filling a position but hiring qualified workers.

Carol Leaman, chief executive officer and cofounder of Axonify retailers, hospitality and food service companies “are gearing up for what is expected to be one of the busiest holiday seasons to date, and they’re feeling the pressure to ensure frontline teams are set up for success by adding the right talent and providing proper training.”

But with another expected increase in seasonal hiring this year, Leaman said “these industries continue to be challenged when it comes to attracting qualified workers to ensure a smooth holiday shopping season.”

But there are solutions.

Axonify’s survey found that to help attract seasonal talent, “frontline managers are continuing to utilize several recruitment tactics, including promoting a safe and secure work environment (77 percent), providing more training/upskilling initiatives for new employees (53 percent) and offering higher salaries this year for the same positions posted last year (49 percent).”

Other findings reveal just how important seasonal hiring is for a business. According to frontline managers polled, the business impact includes “delivering a consistent experience (75 percent), reducing burnout (70 percent), delivering a memorable customer experience (64 percent) and their ability to control customer issues like theft, safety and violence (51 percent),” the report noted.