Managing part time employees is a challenge. In fact, handling part time staff is often more complex than full time staff because they impact productivity, turn over and benefits in very different ways. That's why we've compiled a list of tips for managing part-time staff more effectively for any organization.
- Set Your Expectations Up Front
Part time employees often feel out of the loop when it comes to important management decisions and company policies. Many companies do not offer part time staff as much training as full time staff, so they are unsure of their role when working with full time team members. To avoid this, keep a complete job description on file and make your intentions clear. This should also include information about full time opportunities at a later date if you plan on hiring someone down the road. - Make Sure Your Time and Attendance Software Is Up To Date
Using the right tools to handle scheduling, time off and other information is important. You need software that is capable of differentiating between different types of employees and handling time keeping transactions accurately without making edits all the time. Part time employees also like to have access to their pay stubs and hourly records week to week since their pay is likely to fluctuate whereas full time employees get a steady paycheck. Features like this offer peace of mind to part-time staff. - Give Part Time Employees Specific Tasks, Not Generalizations
Being a part-time employee means not having total control or even regular input in the way a team operates. Full time team members usually take charge and each part time member is confronted with the unknown whenever they clock in. You can make your part time team members more productive by assigning them specific tasks to take care of each day rather than placing them on a large team where they will have to ask for directions at the beginning of every day; this also improves the consistency of your results.
These are just three tips for managing part-time staff that can help any organization integrate their team members more effectively. Using the right tools and setting the right expectations will ensure that everyone is kept up to date on important information. It also makes it easier for you to move forward with a hire or manage changes in projects along the way. Don't be daunted by the complexity of managing full time and part time staff at the same time, just look at it as an opportunity to make your team operate more efficiently. 