When summer demands the right people – across five locations at once

A familiar name, a real story

Hintakaari is a Finnish family business known for its wide aisles, well-stocked garden departments, and genuinely helpful staff. As summer approaches, stores fill with customers – and a successful season requires the right people in the right roles, in the right places.

The challenge: five locations, one summer season

The 2026 summer recruitment was a large undertaking for Hintakaari. Staff were needed across five locations around Finland, covering a range of roles from checkout work to garden departments and e-commerce.

The goal was to reach the right candidates, communicate Hintakaari’s employer brand authentically, and keep the entire recruitment process under control from start to finish. Seasons took responsibility for planning and executing the full recruitment package.

How the recruitment was carried out

Work began well ahead of the application period. Together with Hintakaari, we designed the recruitment campaign, built the application materials, and prepared visibility across the right channels.

When applications opened, a targeted advertising campaign ran on Facebook and Instagram to reach potential summer employees across each location and direct them to apply.

The recruitment process moved actively throughout the application period. Applications were processed and interviews arranged during the open period itself, allowing the strongest candidates to be identified quickly – and decisions made well before the summer season began.

The work doesn’t end with hiring. During the summer, employees are asked for feedback on their experience, and their stories are used as part of the long-term development of Hintakaari’s employer brand.

“In a process like this, where thousands of applications come in, you have to stay on top of it constantly and schedule the whole process together with the client – so everything holds together.” — Matti Käkelä, Recruiter, Seasons HR Management

The result: almost 2,000 applicants

The summer recruitment campaign exceeded expectations. Nearly 2,000 applications arrived – a testament to both the campaign’s reach and Hintakaari’s pull as an employer.

Around 20 summer employees started in their roles across Finland. In addition, several summer voucher employees were hired to support the busiest periods of the season.

More important than the numbers, however, was that the entire process remained smooth and controlled. Hintakaari’s team could focus on their own business while the recruitment progressed as planned and on schedule.

A partnership that supports growth

Successful recruitment is much more than a filled vacancy. It’s candidate experience, employer brand building, and finding the right people for the right roles.

Hintakaari’s 2026 summer recruitment showed that a carefully planned and actively managed recruitment process delivers results – even when there are many open positions and hiring is happening across multiple locations at the same time.

“Seasons handled Hintakaari’s summer recruitment from initial search through to pre-screening. The whole process ran smoothly and in a controlled way from beginning to end. The campaign reached its target audience well – nearly 2,000 applications speaks for itself.

The pre-screening was high quality, which made the store managers’ interview stage clear and efficient. The process moved as agreed, without unnecessary complications, and we found great people for our stores. The overall experience left us with a confident and positive impression. We will continue to use Seasons’ recruitment process going forward.”

— Vesa Reini, Hintakaari

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Recruitment handled by Seasons HR Management · info@seasons.fi