While more employers are offering part-time employment than ever before, some are hesitant. There are many arguments in favor of and against part-time work, which is why Top Applicant’s hiring experts are weighing in. Can part-time work really work for your business? Let’s go over some common considerations before employers decide to offer part-time positions.
More Applicants
With more flexibility in scheduling, companies can attract more applicants from a wide range of potential employees. Simply put, more possibilities open up your positions to more people!
Part-time work works for more people for many reasons. This can help diversify your employee pool to include students, parents, and even people with disabilities! To learn more about hiring people with disabilities, read our related feature.
Read On: Jobs for People with Disabilities
Less Turnover
If you’re tired of always filling holes in your roster, maybe it’s time to split up the positions! Part-time work is a great way to reduce turnover by retaining valuable employees. By providing solutions for employees who may not be able to work full-time, you’ll only have to fill half a position rather than trying to find a new full-time employee.
These positions are also useful for moving part-time employees into full-time positions by providing additional incentives and training.
Keeping Bases Covered
How many times did you have a dip in productivity because someone was late or burned out? A simple solution to this is to offer part-time work! With more flexible schedules, you can cover busy periods without compromising your employee’s work-life integration. This not only helps maintain productivity, it also works to improve morale and reduce no-shows and tardiness.
However:
Staffing Issues Happen
Every season comes with different challenges for every business. This can lead to understaffing and overstaffing in different seasons. Since every company’s seasonal schedule is different, part-time positions may not always be the best option to solve staffing issues. As you consider offering part-time work, make sure you account for necessary staffing changes throughout the year.
Limited Career Advancement
One of the biggest disadvantages that deters employees from applying for part-time positions is the limited career opportunities available. Even if you provide training and incentives, part-time employees may seek alternative employment with adequate compensation or benefits. To further understand the pros and cons employees face with part-time work, read our feature on the subject.
Related Read: Pros and Cons of Part-Time Jobs
Additional Admin Work
The final disadvantage employers need to consider is the administrative work required to add part-time workers to your roster. A good way to visualize this is by thinking about your own duties. How many full-time employees do you supervise every day? Now double or triple that number as you split up those positions to offer part-time work.
Every duty will need to be assigned accordingly, and you’ll need to track the productivity accordingly. Since no one likes additional work, this is one of the most common reasons employers avoid part-time employees.
Will part-time work for you?
So will offering part-time work improve your business, or will it just add additional headaches? That’s entirely up to you! Every business is unique, so part-time positions will work differently for everyone.
As you work with your HR department to improve your hiring strategy, make Top Applicant part of the plan. Post your next job for free and get matched with the best applicants with the modern way to hire!
