Finding great part-time workers

Using local resources can help you tap the part-time labor market, and good interviewing and listening skills will help you land and keep the top talent

By Phillip M. Perry, Contributing Editor -- Industrial Distribution, 6/1/2007

Part-time workers can be lifesavers when things get crazy. Maybe you're planning a company event and you need help with the extra work. Or maybe a key employee has announced she can work only half days next week, so you need someone to fill in. And how about your plans to work evenings and weekends? If the regular staff can't make it, you'll need people who can.

In these situations, contingent employees can mean the difference between success and failure. Finding great part-time workers, however, is often easier said than done. Your traditional “help wanted” newspaper ad will compete for the best talent with other employers that are also mining a dwindling supply of prospects.

“The market for part-time and temporary workers is getting tighter and tighter,” warns Mel Kleiman, a Houston-based management consultant who helps employers fine-tune their hiring practices. “Today there really is a war for talent.”

Here's the good news: You can find great part-timers by casting a wide net and considering these categories:

Retirees. “Retired people who want to work for a little extra money and to keep in touch with the world are a good source of part-time workers,” says Ian Jacobsen, a Morgan Hill, Calif.-based management consultant. “One benefit is that their flexible schedules allow them to adjust to the hours you need. And they have learned how to work, so you can forego some of the training students require.”

Local senior centers and AARP offices are good sources for leads on older workers.

“We have also had success finding older workers by posting signs for 'mall walkers,'” says Kleiman. “Those are older individuals who get their daily exercise by walking in their local malls. They are often open to suggestions for part-time jobs.”

Students. “Many employers find part-time workers by linking up with high schools and colleges,” reports Fred Martels, president of People Solution Strategies in Chesterfield, Mo.

But avoid the temptation to hire the first applicant through the door. Many young people have not yet developed a work ethic or the ability to interact well with others, so it's important to communicate your customer service values and hire only those who understand them.

“It is important to be selective, and for people to know that you are choosy,” Martels adds. “Let them feel it's special to go to work at your business.”

Also be aware that students often need flexible schedules so they can juggle classes and a job.

“College professors are generally unsympathetic when a student asks to take a mid-term or final exam at a different time than the rest of the class because of work,” warns Jacobsen.

Most colleges and universities have student employment offices where jobs may be listed. Student publications and job boards are also potential media for ads.

Mothers with young children. “Mothers very often like to work part-time for a little diversion from the bottle, diaper and baby talk routine,” says Jacobsen. “And most are always in need of extra money, as bringing children into the world always seems to be more costly than planned.”

Like retirees, mothers with work history require less training than less experienced workers. But like students, they may require some flexibility in their schedules.

Jacobsen suggests seeking out local organizations of mothers. One example is Las Madres (www.lasmadres.org) in California.

“Also, if you have full-time employees who have not returned from maternity leave, they might be interested in working part-time,” he says.

Creative searching will uncover still more great part-time workers:

Previous employees. Maintain a list of individuals who have either worked for you part-time or on a temporary basis. Include those who worked full-time and left on good terms; many will welcome part-time work.

“The best part-time people are the ones who worked for you in the past,” Kleiman says. “You do not have to retrain them.”

One more thing: Treat your part-time and temporary workers well, because you may need their services again.

Current workers. Your current employees know your workplace culture and your emphasis on customer service, so ask them for references for part-timers.

“Be clear what you are looking for,” Martels suggests. “Emphasize that you want only the best part-timers with worth ethics in sync with your own.”

Great workers at other businesses. Are you impressed by a salesperson at another business or an enthusiastic server at a restaurant? Kleiman suggests recruiting them.

“Give these individuals cards that say, 'I appreciate the great service. If you are looking for an extra shift, I need someone part-time.' This technique has worked really well for me,” he says.

The Internet. The Web has become a critical link between employers and candidates.

“One of my favorite sources for part-timers is Craigslist,” Kleiman says.

This Web site (www.craigslist.com) posts all manner of free classifieds, including employment ads, in 450 cities worldwide. It certainly helps you cast a wide net: The service claims it receives more than 750,000 new job listings each month.

Finding sources for prospects is one thing; attracting those prospects is another. One way to draw the best candidates is by emphasizing the benefits of working at your business in your help wanted ads.

For example, if you offer daytime work hours, your pitch might be, “Be home when your kids are home.”

If you provide health benefits, the pitch might be, “Obtain protection for you and your family.”

How about attractive working conditions? Try, “Come join our friendly family.”

But you don't want to attract just any prospect—some new employees will please customers and help fatten your bottom line, but others will turn customers away, tarnishing your reputation.

Good interviewing skills can reduce the risk of hiring a dud.

Assessing each candidate's enthusiasm for work is first on the list.

“Ask the applicants what attracts them to the sort of work you need done and what they find less attractive,” Jacobsen suggests. “You want to create a situation where they are sufficiently interested in and committed to what you have to offer that they will do whatever they can to honor their commitments to you.”

“A good part-time worker can be counted on to show up for work as scheduled,” Jacobsen says. “When screening prospects, ask about the various time commitments in their lives and ask how they will fit your work into their schedules.”

Has the prospect worked part-time before? Jacobsen suggests mining the individual's track record for clues to future performance.

“Ask what personal situations have mandated adjustments to their work schedules, and how they went about making those adjustments.”

People skills are equally essential. Does the prospect make eye contact? Take real interest in other people? Open up with a hearty hello when approached? All of these characteristics are essential to business success.

“You can identify a lot of favorable behaviors in an interview,” notes Martels. “Watch the body language of your candidates.”

Make sure you and your new hire are on the same wavelength when it comes to employment expectations.

“Many people will accept part-time positions in the hope that they become full-time,” notes Jacobsen. “Unless it is possible for a job to expand in that way, these are people to avoid. No sooner are they trained and ready to become productive when they get an offer of full-time work elsewhere and they leave.”

Prepare now for the time when you need part-time workers. Rushing the hiring process too often results in regrets. There are plenty of fish in the sea for those who cast the right lures. Your real challenge is filtering the candidates down to those will help rather than hinder.

“There may never be a shortage of available employees,” notes Kleiman. “But there will always be a shortage of great ones.”