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According to a recent Time magazine article, nearly 33% of American workers are less than full-time employees. These contingency workers include: temps, part-timers, consultants, freelancers, and self-employed workers. If your business is highly dependent upon part-time employees, it is important to keep them motivated and excited about their responsibilities. This can sometimes be a challenge, because part-timers are often not paid as well as full-timers, may do lower-level work, and may have a limited career track. Here are some keys to success:
TRAINING
Orientation is very important, as the Walt Disney organization has illustrated so effectively. Employees who work as little as six weeks a year in their theme parks get three full days of training. A person working fifteen or twenty hours a week should be seen as a contributor to the bottom line, who is as important to a business’ success as a full-timer. Be sure to let part-timers participate in as many training opportunities as possible. Providing opportunities to grow and learn is valued by most people, and is a very effective way to compete against another employer who may offer twenty cents more an hour.
PROVIDE GUIDANCE
Provide an effective means of answering the questions that he/she will inevitably have. Providing a mentor or a guide-perhaps another part-timer who has been there longer- to assist a newcomer will help that person feel welcome. Mentors can be available to anyone in an organization, but are particularly useful in accelerating the pace with which a part-timer feels involved.
BE FLEXIBLE
Part-timers work that schedule for many reasons: They may have child-care or elder-care needs; they may be students, retirees, or have disabilities. As much as possible, accommodate the need for flexible work hours. By making this accommodation and meeting their special requirements, you may retain part-time workers longer, and the longer you can keep workers, the less time you have to spend on the recruitment, hiring and training process.
BENEFITS
There are many kinds of benefits, and not all are financial. In addition to flex time, be creative about offering incentives. When a bonus plan is not possible, be sure that part-timers can participate in contests, go on company retreats, and otherwise feel included in company activities. Educational opportunities, GED programs and college tuition reimbursement programs are particularly attractive to younger workers. If you have a fitness center, career counseling services, a credit union or child care facilities, make these available, as well. Including them in optional after-hours social events will build ties and help workers view the organization as their own.
INCENTIVE PROGRAMS
Set up incentive programs that make the work environment more exciting. Be sure to include part-time employees in your employee-of-the-month awards, which can include merchandise or cash. When part-timers-- who often see work practices and procedures through fresh eyes-- come up with a great energy- or labor-saving suggestion, be sure to acknowledge that in the form of prizes, gift certificates, recognition, or awards ceremonies. When the idea saves the company money, passing some along is always well received. It also sends a message that the organization is serious about making changes and listening to all employees.
INCLUSION
To combat full-time employees’ tendency to treat part-timers as outsiders, involve hourly employees on planning teams and committee assignments. This helps to foster commitment to the organization. Be sure that all are knowledgeable about the key role each group plays. The part-timers have a different level of responsibility, perhaps, but their services support and often make it possible for full-timers to do theirs. In fast-food, for example, there would be no business without the hourly employee.
Although motivating part-time or low-wage workers provide different challenges than motivating the traditional eight-to-five full-time, tenure-track person, the creativity required to motivate them has broad, positive effects. The Human Resources department, for example, gets an opportunity to review policies, procedures and practices to make them more inclusive. By balancing the organization’s needs to save money with keeping skilled workers, you can make the workplace a good environment for all employees.
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