How do you motivate part timers?

[Condo Guard]

For the most part, we've had good results with our part time employees. We understand they have other jobs or obligations, so we try to be flexible with them and have them work when they can and when we need them.

They don't get the same perks and training as the F/T staff (as always, budget concerns). Generally, they have been professional and good workers. But we find we can't use the same "carrots" that we do with full time staff, because we aren't their primary employer. Some are just minimum effort types, and that is a concern since we are rated on customer service as individuals and as a department.

What do you do to get the best performance out of employees you only see once a week or once a month?

[Pops]

For the most part, we've had good results with our part time employees. We understand they have other jobs or obligations, so we try to be flexible with them and have them work when they can and when we need them.

They don't get the same perks and training as the F/T staff (as always, budget concerns). Generally, they have been professional and good workers. But we find we can't use the same "carrots" that we do with full time staff, because we aren't their primary employer. Some are just minimum effort types, and that is a concern since we are rated on customer service as individuals and as a department.

What do you do to get the best performance out of employees you only see once a week or once a month?

As you say "be flexible". We had made a mistake with one guy that wanted more money to come in. Some times had would demand $5 more with very short notice, and don't get me wrong, he would work it. The problem was that he would tell the others of his little trick which soon caught up with him. I told the higher ups not to do this and get someone else. But they didn't. Needless to say due to this guys antics we've lost three good people to this. So now with part timers I have a roster that tells me when they can work and I go by that.

[Condo Guard]

I agree that paying employees on some sort of sliding "how bad do you need a guard?" rate leads to trouble. To answer my own question, the "experts" say be flexible, keep them in the loop with consistent training and meetings and don't make them feel like they are second class employees.

The last one is a bit difficult - we've had to warn at least one S/O not to "boss around" the part-timer as if he's a shift supervisor (which he isn't). The funny part is, the part time guy has more experience. Thankfully, the P/T S/O found it just slightly annoying and let it go.

[PolarDeer]

Over here its common for people in the industry to start out as part-timers with contracts of say, 5-120h/3 weeks, sometimes being moved up to full-timer status earlier but by the latest when their last nine three-week periods average over 112 work hours. The last one is regulated by our national work conditions agreement.

As a consequence, we have a lot of part-timers around and since they're often used to fill in the empty spaces in the duty rosters not covered by the regular crew, they may "float" around different sites and not develop the kind of "site attachment" you might get as a full-timer. By "site attachment" I mean when you're a regular at a site or a patrol area and want to see your stuff there working out and generally develop an element of professional pride in knowing that you're working there as best as you can.

As for the part-timers? Given my own experiences when I was part-timing, and having seen a lot of part-time people come, stay and go, I think the best choice is to "take them in" and generally try and make them a part of the work place as well as trying to instill a sense of them belonging to the post. They need to be motivated enough to care about how their actions at work affect the others on that post and the post in general beyond their own shift.

We have a lot of summer workers and students part-timing too in addition to those looking to transfer to a full-time contract. As for these people, I honestly don't know. It's fairly common for them to have the "I'm just working here for the summer" disease and especially after my supervisory stint in the summer I resigned myself into accepting that they (summer workers, students and others with no intent to stay in the industry) will either have the motivation or they won't and it's best to focus my efforts on the people who I know could actually be my workmates, say, five years from now or something.

[ptisecurity]

Here is some useful tips that might help out a little bit. Or at least maybe spark a few ideas for someone.

Top 10 Ways to Motivate Part-Time Employees

1. Appreciate part-time employees for the job they do. Recognize part-time employees if you want them to continue to do a good job.

2. Treat part-time employees the way you want them to act. If you want part-time employees to have a long-term perspective, treat them with a long-term perspective.

3. Provide new challenges. Mix up the workload. Offer part-timers new challenges by moving them around the store and exposing them to new tasks.

4. Assign a mentor. Assign a full-time employee to mentor each part-timer.

5. Encourage part-timers to take initiative. Recognize part-time employees for taking the initiative to provide better service or products to customers.

6. Provide the right training and resources. Employees need the right orientation and training to do their jobs well and be most effective.

7. Show part-timers that their jobs matter. Motivate part-timers by showing them how their jobs relate to the company’s overall goals.

8. Communicate. Communication is the lifeline of any company. Constantly talk with part-time employees to see if they have questions or concerns.

9. Make them feel a part of the team. Everyone — especially part -timers — needs and wants to feel a part of the team.

10. Make it fun. Make the work environment an enjoyable place to be.

[Jaeger]

Over here its common for people in the industry to start out as part-timers with contracts of say, 5-120h/3 weeks, sometimes being moved up to full-timer status earlier but by the latest when their last nine three-week periods average over 112 work hours. The last one is regulated by our national work conditions agreement.

The bigger companies as in Securitas and Loomis (the armored transport company) have a tendency to make it hard for even motivated workers to make it full-time contracts. Apparently there is not too many regular officers who have month salary and full hour contracts, but often they are provided enough hours to make ends meet. And in certain positions you have the option to do alot of overtime.

I've heard stories from the company I work for that a few years ago when they were recruiting folks to regular positions the people selected received full-time contracts immediately. In my case it took me ten months to make it a full-timer with shift lists with varied hour amounts, so that pretty much sums up how the companies follow the labor agreements.

My service manager often told me that "he wasn't ready" to discuss transferring me to a full-time position despite the large amount of work I put in on the job even at the beginning. Well, eventually he agreed, but not without constant pressure.

they may "float" around different sites and not develop the kind of "site attachment" you might get as a full-timer. By "site attachment" I mean when you're a regular at a site or a patrol area and want to see your stuff there working out and generally develop an element of professional pride in knowing that you're working there as best as you can.

I love being a "floater", since I have a tendency to get really bored of the sites I do regularly. There was this one evening site I did as a regular for some time, but the folks down at the site begun to bug me enough to request a transfer. I really like being a floater, since then you'll have alot of different working hours and it is good to be able to handle alot of different sites. It also keeps you earning overtime pay, since there will almost always be someone calling in sick.

There is nothing wrong in being a floater, but there is of course always the matter of you turning into one of those "jack of all trade, master of none"-officers that I currently associate myself with But, as said it also has a few good sides to be able to handle different sites.

[nexlar]

Wow..!!! it really nice tips, It will definitely gonna help me.

[Pop pop]

I believe the "part time " officer is an asset to any company and needs little to no motivation. The fact the officer doesn't mind working p/t hours or is seeking a gig as a floater is motivation enough, and he may be the most experience officer working the shift that day, as our friend Condo Guard pointed out already, funny? you're best guards are Part timers..

At our Facilities, we have schedules out every five weeks, it works out well for all. All of our training includes everyone.

[zm88]

My current roster is me and 1 FT with 3 or 4 pt mixed in. Its a vharlie foxtrot to the highest degree. My other ft guy got promoted, and i couldn't be happier for him. However his expertise as well as commitment and desire to always learn is something that i only wish my other guys would pick up

[Squid]

Tell them you need their "fresh input" on WTF is going on and what should be done because the full timers tend to become Creatures of Habit.

Also that you value their input because they have other main jobs, exp or interests.

Tell them they are "Associate Consultants", not just guards.

9 out of 10 people will respond positively to a.......

http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...an%20Promotion


Then there was that famous office lighting study. They finally figured out what was increasing productivity wasn't the lighting, but that people work harder and better if someone is paying attention to them in a nice way. Ask them to write recommendations and thoughtfully thank them.