Keeping Part-time Employees Motivated
Focusing on Job Satisfaction to Increase Productivity
Sep 24, 2009
Ideally, a part-time worker will shoulder a share of the workload with as much skill and enthusiasm as full-time employees. But often what happens is that the part-timer is assigned to more basic tasks without the benefit of training, encouragement, or a sense of potential to develop more than a dollars-for-labor mindset with the employer. This can demotivate the part-timer and cost the employer more in terms of having to hire extra help, as well as spending more time replacing workers who leave for greener pastures. As experienced employers know, those costs can be quite high.
Part-time employees have the same basic human needs as full-timers: a sense of accomplishment, camaraderie, and potential to develop into more. Even if they don't intend to remain with a company, there are still things that employers can do to make their stay more worthwhile and productive for everyone involved.
Maximizing ROI on Part-time Workers
Here are five tips for enhancing productivity and motivation in part-time employees.
- Encourage initiative. Part-time workers can be as enthusiastic as their full-time counterparts, but it usually doesn't happen automatically. If part-timers are treated differently- say, by expecting less from them- they will probably behave accordingly. Prevent that problem by holding them to the same standards as everyone else, and acknowledge them with the same recognition and rewards as would be given to full-time workers.
- Assign mentors. All employees, regardless of their status, benefit by having someone show them the ropes and guide their progress. Assign an experienced employee to be the part-timer's mentor. This conveys two very important things to part-time employees: 1) that their progress makes a measurable difference; and 2) that they are viewed by management as being just as valuable as the rest of the team.
- Provide training. Along with increasing the worker's perception of job value, training also enhances the quality of the part-timer's services. Companies that encourage training beyond basic skill sets have happier, more productive crews and receive more positive reviews from satisfied customers. Information on programs and federal funding for training can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor website.
- Communicate. Part-timers can provide valuable feedback to help companies run better. Make sure to stay in touch. Ask about their projects to find out what's working and what's not, or where they might need a little more help.
- Encourage part-timers to get involved. Not including part-timers in interactions with full-time workers, whether on the job or for special company events such as holiday parties, sends the message that part-time workers aren't important. It's human nature: people who feel excluded tend to lose motivation and become less productive. Whether they're on the clock 30 hours a week or 10, they're still part of the team. Let them know that the rest of the team is counting on them.
Most people identify with their jobs, regardless of how long they're on duty each week. Part-timers need to feel they matter, and not that their work is just to "fill in the gaps."
Smart employers also know that the best source of new talent is in-house. Cultivate the enthusiasm of part-time workers, and there will always be someone to step up to new responsibilities when their experience is most needed.
 |
