Unfortunately, hourly and part-time workers, in general, do not get the same attention from upper management as employees on salary. If you take a closer look at the numbers, this shouldn’t be the case. Nearly 1 out of every 4 workers in the American workforce are part-time/hourly workers, and this percentage is expected to grow over the next few years. So, as a manager, it is in your best interest to pay attention to these employees and focus on retaining them. By doing this, you will maximize their productivity and give them a workplace they want to come to everyday. Here are a few ways you can better integrate them with your company and keep them engaged and happy while at work.
Keep Them Informed of Their Shifts in Advance
A common complaint part-time workers have is that they are given too short of a notice when their shifts will be. In fact, most are told their schedule less than a week in advance. This makes life very difficult for these workers as they often are balancing their schedules with school or other jobs. You can remedy this by keeping them informed as soon as schedules are published and if/when they are edited.
Make the Workplace Fun
A majority of part-time workers would rather work at a job that they enjoy but pays less, than a job they hate but get paid more. These employees want an atmosphere where they enjoy being around and working with their colleagues. So, as a manager, it’s important to provide this type of atmosphere. Put together team building activities either during or after work hours. Give them a break room where they can relax, maybe grab a snack, and enjoy each other’s company. You can even spruce up the workplace with brighter colors or more decorations to promote positive vibes. All of these things can go a long way for your part-time employees and your company.
Show Them The Impact They Have
Part-time and hourly workers can sometimes feel like they are insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Show them this isn’t the case. Include them in things like company-wide emails that talk about how the company is doing. Share with them the future plans of the company and how they fit in with those plans. Indicate how their performance impacts the company.
Employees like when they are part of something and having an impact, in contrast to going through the motions not knowing exactly how they fit in.
If They Show Potential Tell Them
If a part-time employee shows great potential to grow into a full-time position, share this with him. In all likelihood, your better part-time employees do not just have your company as an option in the future, so it’s important to keep them interested. Make it clear to these employees that there is a light at the end of the tunnel; and if they continue to grow with the company, they will be recognized and awarded properly.
A good way to ensure this is to have dedicated employee development programs. Programs such as “managerial development” clearly indicate to hourly/part-time workers that they can work their way up to a managerial position