Making the most of part-time workers

employment hiringWith business owners feeling the heat from rising labor and benefits costs, part-time workers are in high demand these days. Then there’s the advantage of greater flexibility: Employers can add or subtract part-timers in response to variable—and often unpredictable—factors.

So how can you hire and retain the best? Phillip M. Perry, an award-winning writer published widely in the fields of business management, workplace psychology and employment law, addressed the subject in the October issue of sister publication Sleep Savvy.

  • Start by hiring the right people, Perry advises. Mel Kleiman, director of Houston-based Humetrics, an employment-consulting firm, notes in the story that the biggest mistake business owners make is not taking part-time hiring as seriously as full-time hiring.

    Smart hiring means not only curating the applicant pool, but also forming a clear vision of what you need and not waiting until the last minute. “Don’t just start looking for part-timers when you need them,” Kleiman says. “When you are forced to make a fast decision, you end up hiring great applicants instead of great employees.”

  • Once you’ve hired a new employee, design a smooth transition into your workforce so the new arrival feels welcome. “Every new employee at the end of the first day will be asked one question by everyone, ‘How was your day?’ We know what we want the answer to be: ‘It was terrific. It was the best decision I ever made,’ ” Kleiman says.

    Creating such enthusiasm begins with the arrival of the part-timer to your workplace. Don’t spend the first hour on paperwork, Kleiman advises. Instead, focus the first conversation on the employee’s goals.

  • Make sure part-timers stay happy with your company. “Remember that the very nature of being a part-time worker involves two distinct duties: one to the job and the second to a personal life,” Kleiman says. “Your job is to understand the latter and make sure the two loyalties don’t end up in conflict.”

    One way to bring the two into productive engagement is to deliberately involve families in business activities whenever you can. And try to help part-time workers reach their personal goals, even if they aren’t connected with work. Offer a flexible work schedule to someone who wants to get his college degree, for example.

Read the entire story “Why hire part-time workers” at Sleep Savvy magazine.

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