9 Considerations When Hiring a Part-Time Employee

What is one consideration when hiring a part-time employee?

To help you hire part-time employees, we asked hiring managers and business leaders this question for their best ideas. From being clear about your part-time needs first to considering pay requirements, there are several things to consider when hiring part-time employees. Here are nine considerations for hiring part-time employees:

• Be Clear About Your Part-Time Needs First

• Ensure Worker Is Committed To The Specific Role

• Consider The Amount of Freedom and Access To Grant

• Hire One With Good Time Management Skills

• Specify Job Roles Clearly

• Consider Any Potential for Candidate To Become Full-Time

• Take Note of How The Employee Communicates

• Make Sure The Role Offers Flexibility

• Consider Pay Requirements

Be Clear About Your Part-Time Needs First

The majority of job seekers want full-time work, especially those who have specialized and in-demand skills. This means you're drawing from a smaller talent pool, and many of the available applicants will be students, caretakers, and others with major responsibilities outside of work for whom their part-time job is "just a paycheck". Because of this, the best roles for part-time employees are ones that rely predominantly on transferable soft skills, like customer service or administrative roles, rather than those that require mastery of industry-specific skills or technical knowledge.

If you only have a part-time need for something like app development, data security, bookkeeping, or other critical skill-based roles, hiring a freelancer or independent contractor will often be a better option for SMBs because you’ll be able to find a skilled, experienced professional much faster.

Jon Hill, The Energists

Ensure Worker Is Committed To The Specific Role

When hiring a part-time employee, you want to ensure that they'll have a full-time attitude and work ethic. For example, when they arrive at the office for their part-time gig, you want them to be fully invested in the job while they're there. Part-time work does not mean part-time effort, but rather a full-time effort in a shorter period of time. If a prospective candidate seems too distracted with other things, they may not be able to give your part-time position the attention it deserves.

Bradley Hall, Sonu Sleep

Consider The Amount of Freedom and Access To Grant

Where do you draw the line when it comes to part-time employees and what privileges they receive compared to full-time employees? One consideration is whether they will be allowed the freedom to enter and exit the building freely. A part-time administrator is likely to work hours in line with full-time staff, but there is the chance they might arrive at the office before anyone else. In that case, you may want to give that person the proper passcodes and passkeys. The same goes for a part-time employee who is more likely to work odd hours instead of regular hours. It is critical that business owners keep track of everyone who has security access to the building and property, including part-time employees.

Alan Ahdoot, Adamson Ahdoot Law

Hire One With Good Time Management Skills

One vital consideration when hiring any part-time employee is their time management skills. Parents, those with full-time jobs too, etc. all must perform a balancing act with their part-time priorities. A good employee should strive to be timely and attentive and that can be difficult with other forces acting upon them. Make sure they are ready to take on additional responsibilities and maintain them efficiently.

Sasha Ramani, MPOWER Financing

Specify Job Roles Clearly

Hiring a part-time employee can be tricky because the average job-seeker is usually interested in a permanent position with a company. To ensure that the part-time candidate is the right fit for your business, it is essential to craft an accurate job description. Providing a general description may turn off qualified candidates. To avoid this, ensure that you outline specific job requirements in your posting.

Part-time employees are also ideal if your company needs a specialist for a short time. If you need a person to complete a specific project, a part-time employee could provide that expertise. While hiring part-time employees may allow you to access a wider pool of talent than full-time workers, it is important to remember that part-time employees have responsibilities beyond their job. Hence, it is important to consider what the average part-time employee wants. There are many benefits that part-time employees can obtain, but they do have fewer hours.

Ajit Soren, Adaface

Consider Any Potential for Candidate To Become Full-Time

Determine if a part-time worker can turn into an ongoing employee, with the potential to turn into a full-time job. Part-time workers are most likely looking for a permanent position within the company and will wait and do their time to work their way in. If their work ethic and skills align with the company, see if they can fit into a permanent role. Part-time team members will be motivated to work towards this goal and it's a great reward.

Jodi Neuhauser, Ovaterra

Take Note of How The Employee Communicates

Part-time employees come and go a few days a week and while they are gone, the business obviously keeps running. Whether you're hiring a contractor or a regular part time employee, it is important to consider their communication style. Since they will not always be online or at work while changes happen, there needs to be a clear way to communicate to them what has changed while they weren't working when they show up. While interviewing employees, ask them about their communication styles, and consider the best ways to communicate with them to keep them up to date in between their days as part-time workers.

David Ring, MCT - Trading

Make Sure The Role Offers Flexibility

The average part-time employee benefits most from flexibility. Before you begin the hiring process, make sure you have a role that offers this. Part-time employees may be individuals who are juggling other jobs, responsibilities, or family commitments. Their choice to work part-time means they value having certain boundaries over how much they’re willing to give. If you narrow it down to a few candidates, make sure to clarify their availability and try to match their requirements for flexibility. Other ways to factor in flexibility are by ensuring that their schedule and work are sent to them ahead of time and that parts of their job can be carried out remotely. The more flexibility you are able to offer, the more your options and the more employee retention.

Chris Roth, Highline Wellness

Consider Pay Requirements

You need to make sure that your organization can afford the cost of hiring a part-time employee. You need to understand all their demands and check with the company resources to ensure that you can meet them. Part-time employees can be expensive at times, which may strain the organization. Therefore, evaluate the cost of a part-time employee against an in-house team member playing that role.

Ivy Bosibori, USBadCreditLoans

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