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Employee engagement is tricky even for full-time employees who are immersed in your company culture. For hourly and part-time employees, true engagement is even more difficult to accomplish. In many cases, your hourly or part-time employees are working in lower-paying roles with limited flexibility, no benefits, and a clock-in/clock-out mentality.
If you’ve noticed that your part-timers are feeling disconnected or unmotivated, there are several ways to motivate employees that will improve their experience, and ultimately their job performance.
Employee-led scheduling
Many part-time and hourly employees have limited or no control over the schedule they work. This can lead to resentment when work hours interfere with other things that may be going on in their lives. It can also be unhealthy if employees are asked to work split shifts, or switch day and night shifts on a regular basis.
While your company needs coverage during peak times, empowering employees to be part of the overall schedule design is beneficial for two reasons: it helps your employees understand and align to the needs of your company, and it gives them more flexibility to maintain their own version of work-life balance.
Change the work environment
Take a good, long look around the environment you work in. Is it warm and inviting, or drab and uncomfortable? Having a pleasant work environment can positively impact the everyday moods of your employees. And when hourly and part-time employees are in a good mood at work, their level of engagement rises.
Changes don’t have to be extensive or expensive to create a big boost. Updating hazy or buzzing lights to bright whites, covering dingy paint jobs with warm colors, and adding some vibrant green plants are all fairly affordable and fast ways to improve an environment. This is another great area to involve your employees — challenge them to help create an atmosphere they’ll enjoy.
Keep people in the loop
Because part-time employees are out of the office much more than full-time staff, they can feel disconnected when they miss announcements, activities, or opportunities that took place while they were away. Managers should maintain a protocol for how they disseminate essential information to part-time employees throughout the week, so that they’re in the loop and ready to hit the ground running each time they come in.
Alternative benefits
It’s simply not cost efficient to provide the same insurance coverage and other benefits to part-time or hourly employees as it is for salaried staff. However, there may be ways you can engage hourly employees through alternative benefits. For instance, although your company may not be able to afford health or dental coverage for part-timers, you may be able to offer them access to plans your company has negotiated. They can enroll and self-pay for coverage that may be less expensive than going through a health exchange.
Regardless of their role, all employees need to be recognized and incentivized at work. Make an effort to praise and celebrate their accomplishments, positive behavior, and time in service. Whether you offer monetary rewards, additional perks, or just regular verbal praise, consistent recognition is a key way to improve engagement.
Chances are, your company’s success depends on your hourly and part-time employees just as much as it does on your full-time staff. By making easy changes and finding new ways to recognize and appreciate their work, you can keep your part-time team happy, reduce turnover, and even increase productivity.
