The summer is upon us, and with the summer comes summer employees! Though reports show that summer hiring is certainly in a lull this year (along with the rest of the economy) many small businesses rely on summer employment, from restaurants to landscapers.

Every summer, I dreaded the hiring process at our catering business. Particularly in the food service industry, turnover is high. (My husband likes to say that working at a restaurant is just something people do while they're waiting for something else to come along. Ha!) As most of our catering staff were students, some were available each season and some inevitably had to be replaced due to changing schedules and personal commitments. Reluctantly, I had to set out each season to find the best employees.

The process was exhausting each time, from people who were far from qualified (hey, they were on-call catering positions, but I actually tried to hire folks with experience) to fellow food service owners looking for a little cash on the side. Inevitably, one out of every three acceptable applicants skipped out on their interview, leaving me with few options. Of course, just as we found folks who fit our vibe and actually made it to work on time, they were off to new things once the next event season arrived. Ugh!

So, if you're still dreading that summer hiring process, dread it no more. Here are a few tips for finding seasonal employees that will work for you!

The UPS Compass Online has great tips for hiring seasonal workers, including:

• Ask your staff for referrals. Good workers know other good workers, says Pollack. "People are going to bring in other people that they want to work with," Pollack says. "As long as you have a good core group with a good work ethic, they're not going to bring in slack employees."

• Hire your most loyal customers. Enthusiastic customers already know your products and believe in their quality. They might be thrilled to get a short-term glimpse of the behind-the-scenes operations, notes Doug Fleener, president of Dynamic Experiences Group, a consulting firm in Lexington, Mass. So, ask them.

• Hire former favorites. Maybe a promising employee quit to go to college, or a working parent decided to spend more time with the kids. Folks who couldn't fit a full-time job into their lives may find a few hours a week to make some cash for the holidays, Fleener says.

If you're looking to hire a few local students out on summer break, be sure to follow all of your local law requirements. The HR Forum has information on OSHA and FLSA requirements for workers under the age of 18.