Why hire a part-time worker?

If your business is looking for ways to boost productivity in 2018, it could be time to consider flexible and part-time workers.

Not sure whether you need to or can justify hiring just yet? Have a read of the below and feel free to get back to us. We could talk about the benefits of part-time workers to businesses all day.

Trust us, part-time works! And there’s no better time to get your ducks in a row for the coming year to help boost your bottom line in 2018.

1. Achieve your growth targets

If you have ambitions to grow your business in 2018, a part-time professional can help you.  Whether it’s a marketing strategy that needs activating or a new IT system that needs implementing, employing on a part-time basis brings focus and energy to grow projects.

“We’ve recruited three flexible workers now and our business is thriving as a result. We could never have afforded the level of talent employing full-time workers.”  Alexander Arpino, MD, Veterinary Insights

2. Support existing teams

By bringing in part-time workers, you can get additional resource  for a smaller price tag than a full-time worker.  Even offering a role on four days per week gives a 20% salary saving and 30 hours per week goes a long way!   And in our experience, part-time workers’ priorities are highly focussed on the task in hand and performing it to the best of their abilities.

Deborah O’Sullivan, Managing Director at Ten2Two says, “Part-time workers aren’t, in general, chasing their next promotion and a desire to move up the ladder, frequently changing companies like some of their full-time counterparts. Yes, they want to progress in their careers, but their main focus is the job in hand and doing it as well as possible. If you need additional support, they’re excellent at rolling up their sleeves and just getting on with it.”

3. Tackle sidelined projects

If your to-do list isn’t getting tasks crossed off it, you might need part-time resource. For example, if you have a project that’s been sitting on the back burner for some time, one that you’ve been unable to dedicate resource to, what are you going to do about it? A part-time worker on a fixed contract can be the answer to getting those jobs done in your office that are always overlooked.

4. Cover a period of absence

Part-time professionals can be brought in to cover a period of employee absence. Whether it’s maternity leave or an employee sabbatical, a part-time worker can be a good way to bridge the gap when you don’t want to hire a full-time member of staff or commit to a full-time contractor. And you never know, you may need someone reliable to be on board with team processes just in case further cover is required down the line.

Deborah O’Sullivan says, “Our pool of part-time professionals can often start at short notice and are very happy to join a company looking for fixed period cover.  Often we find they prove to be invaluable and end up staying on in another capacity or sometimes job-sharing with the person they’ve been covering for.”

5. Fill your ‘hard to fill’ role

If you’ve been trying to fill a position on a full-time basis, but the candidates aren’t hitting the brief, think part-time.  There’s a unique talent pool of professionals who could fit your needs if there can be some flexibility built into the role.  This could be a reduced week, compressed hours or occasional working from home – a small compromise to get the skills you’ve been looking for.

“As a growing business in the IT sector, we were looking to employ two new members of staff in the key areas of Finance and Sales and Marketing. The two chosen candidates have made an immediate impact on the business and are a perfect fit with our company culture and ambition.” Barny Webb, Cobwebb Communications Ltd

6. Free yourself to focus on what you’re good at

If you’re finding yourself being the MD, FD, HR Head as well as Company Administrator you’re probably spreading yourself too thinly and not focussing on important business issues.  A part-time professional can be a great way to delegate those jobs that aren’t in your core skill set. Here’s what other companies have had to say on the matter.

7. Promote employee wellbeing

If your employees are stressed, they may be overworked and not performing at their best. By boosting your current workforce, you can take some of the pain away and give staff the space to shine. Overworking is one of the biggest causes of stress, but it doesn’t make staff more productive. Get more from your workforce by bringing in a highly qualified part-time worker to create breathing space in the office.

According to the HSE (Health and Safety Executive), in 2015/16 over 480,000 people in the UK reported that work-related stress was making them ill. This amounts to nearly 40% of all work-related illness. It costs UK businesses big. By hiring part-time workers, you can better support the people you have. Prevention is better than cure as they say.

If you’d like to discuss your part-time business requirements in further detail, please get in touch. Ten2Two have offices across the south of England and have led the way in professional part-time and flexible recruitment for the last ten years.

Get in touch now to see how we can help you achieve your business targets for 2018.