Part time employees often play a critical role in the success of a business. Read how team building efforts need to take them into account as well.
Nowadays many companies are employing workers on a part-time or job-share basis. Many of these employees are women who are returning to work after maternity leave or raising their children. Often part-time workers can feel disengaged with the rest of the workforce. They can feel left out and ignored which in turn leads to low self-esteem and a lack of motivation which means they are more likely to leave and will have low productivity.
Ensuring that your part-time workers feel every bit a part of the team as your full-time staff isn’t difficult, but it does take a little effort on everyone’s part.
Include part-time workers in team meetings. Where possible try to schedule team meetings when most part-time workers will be in work, or alternatively re-arrange shifts so that the majority of people can attend. Being invited to meetings helps to make everyone feel included, it also enables you to give clear business messages that won’t be misinterpreted and ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them, without being told second-hand.
Invite part time workers to all social events. Whether it’s the Office Christmas Party or a team building event, ensure that all part-time workers are invited and try to plan the events so they can fit them in with their schedules if they have young children.
Invite part-time staff to all training sessions. Learning new skills alongside their full-time colleagues will mean that less time is wasted in the workplace than if another member of staff has to train them. It will also act as good team building practice as it gives everyone the chance to forge good working relationships in a new environment.
Set the same goals and objectives for part-time workers as you would for the rest of the staff. Encourage part-time workers to learn new skills, as today’s part-timer worker could be tomorrow’s full-timer. Offer the same bonuses and incentives that full-time staff receive.
Ensure that the part-time staff isn’t left with the donkey work that no-body wants to do. Part-time members of staff should be valued for their skill set as much as full-time staff and should not be wasting everyone’s time doing demeaning jobs.
Communicate with them. Listen to their needs and make sure that you take time out to speak with them about their role and be sure to relay any positive feedback about their work.
Have part-time staff working alongside the full-time staff. Don’t shut them away in a different office or room. Where possible make the lunch breaks the same as other staff so they can join their colleagues for lunch to strengthen office relationships.
Keep part-time workers informed. Always include part-time workers on written communications such as memo and emails.
Ensure that part-time workers know what needs to be done each shift. Often they will be unsure of what is expected of them and whether any work has been assigned to them. Giving them clear and specific roles will help to eliminate this.
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