Do Part-Time Employees Need Training?

Posted on 04/19/22 By Lorman Team

According to Statista there were 27 million people working part-time in the US in 2019, compared to 20 million in 1990.

Part-time employees are an integral part of a company's success because they often pick up a lot of important work that cannot be completed by just one full-time employee. 

Even though part-time employees hold an important role in most organizations, they often don't receive the same amenities as full-time employees, such as training and development.

Here we'll take a look at the benefits of providing equal training and development opportunities to your part-time employees.

3 Benefits of Training Part-Time Employees

Organizations often exclude certain employees from regular training and development initiatives simply because they work less than 34 hours per week. Many believe these employees don't require the same investment due to their limited time in office. 

But this is a mistake — there are incredibly benefits to providing training opportunities for your part-time employees:

1. Increase Productivity

Employee productivity can make a difference between profit and loss. No matter whether an employee works part-time or full-time, their productivity has the same level of importance.

By offering training in soft skills ,such as time management, your part-time employees will be able to make the most of the limited time they have at work.

2. Develop Skills and Retain Talent

Employees tend to stick with companies that value their contribution and invests in their growth and development. An investment in career development training for your part-time employees will help increase your retention rate as happy employees tend to stick longer.

Through the right training, you can prepare part-time workers for potentially full-time roles or other internal positions where they can have more responsibilities. By monitoring and tracking their career development progress, you can determine who is ready for the next career step.

Remember that companies need to be competitive in today's market, and we don't just talk about customer-wise competition, but also the competition for top talent. 

3. Foster a Better Work Culture

Part-time employees often feel disconnected from their team because of the limited interaction they have with their coworkers and the availability of training programs designed for them.

Incorporate these employees into your learning and development training to make them feel more welcomed. To identify skills that part-time employees may need to advance in their careers, you may look at the company's data or conduct surveys. 

Basic skills like conflict resolution, critical thinking, oral and written communication, and digital technology place a strong foundation for most employees to excel in any environment.

Tips for Training Part-time Employees

To effectively train your part-time workforce, you need to pay attention to a few points.

Set Aside Time for Training

No one wants to work overtime because they have to complete mandatory training. Your part-time employees will appreciate if you could set aside time for them to do training so that they don't have to rush or work overtime to complete it.

Furthermore, on-the-job training gives them the opportunity to ask questions or discuss new topics with their colleagues.

Make Training Accessible Online

Nowadays, it's not uncommon for people to work remotely. Even if your part-time employees don't work remotely, it would be convenient for them to be able to complete the training anytime and anywhere they want.

Online training gives people a wider array of training topics to choose from and is easier to access and use for all kinds of learners.

Check in With Them Regularly

Training part-time employees will benefit your organization. One of the best practices for training part-time employees is to let them know that you care about them not only professionally, but also on a personal level.

Managers should be approachable and check in with them regarding their progress or any encountered problem regularly.

Are you looking to implement an effective training program? Learn more about Lorman's Teams & Enterprise Training solutions.