Hiring part-time and freelance workers as an alternative resource

Recruiting part-time staff members or appointing freelance workers on a retained basis are smart ways of achieving agility in recruiting, giving you a workforce that is cost-effective, scalable and self-motivated.

The number of people who consider themselves as being in “an alternative mode of employment” seems to be rising. This arrangement can be beneficial to both employers and employees, and the emerging trend of the “slash lifestyle” self-identifier is closely associated with the younger generation, especially as millennials continue to drive towards multi-faceted career paths that are rewarding in more ways than one.

Hirers absolutely should not ignore this growing pool of exceptional candidates, especially as they typically tend to be self-starters, self-managers, highly entrepreneurial, and committed to investing in their own learning and life experiences.

A burgeoning range of job types attract part-time and freelance workers

According to JobsDB Salary Report 2019, the average number of working hours per week in Hong Kong is 18.6 hours for part-time workers and 22.5 for freelancers.

Feedback from our engagement with hirers highlights the rising demand for part-time and freelance candidates who are able to succeed as many sectors continue to see remote/distributed working and zero-hours contracting ideal for their needs.

When applying this recruitment model in correct weighting against full-time resource acquisition, our partners often report that they can achieve a better hiring capability overall.

Why is part-time work and freelancing so popular now?

The JobsDB Salary Report found that the major triggers for giving up full-time work in order to work part-time or freelance were “spare time for matters other than work” which came out at 71% among part-time employees and 58% among freelancers, and “better control of own life” – in other words, ‘work-life balance’ – for which 57% of part-time employees and 80% of freelancers agreed.

These findings align with JobsDB’s Laws of Attraction study where attraction drivers are quite similar regardless of whether the role is full-time or part-time. Both “salary/compensation” and “work-life balance” are the key factors cited by both part-time and self-employed candidates who consider double pay, bonuses, five-day work weeks and regular daily hours as attracting factors.

Moreover, respondents cited “colleagues/co-workers” as also important to part-time candidates as freelancers often find themselves collaborating with many different teams across the composition of their freelance client roster, which is great for skills development and higher learning.

While part-time or freelance staff members only serve on a time-limited contract, they want to work with colleagues who are collaborative, supportive and respectful, to be part of teams that are diverse and would appreciate their inputs. Therefore, employers should work hard to make sure they feel included and are not treated any different to full-time team members.

What do part-time and freelance staff expect from employers?

The JobsDB Salary Report revealed that over the last 12 months, part-time/freelance candidates’ mobility was higher than ever. 47% of candidates made a move, and that move was split between ‘changing employer only’ and ‘changing both employer and job function’. Their reasons for changing jobs had a broader range of triggers compared to those working full time.

A higher proportion of part-time/freelance employees (34%) said they plan to change both employer and job function in the next three months, while only 13% of full-time employees plan to. While this is partly due to the nature of part-time and freelance work, ‘dissatisfaction with salary/benefits’ tops the list of reasons for looking for a change, with over three quarters (78%) of part-time/casual workers receiving neither a bonus nor double pay, indicating that employers seem not able to address the needs of these employees.

Employers need to understand the expectations of part-time or self-employed candidates in order to hire, augment and retain talent. Our Laws of Attraction study reveals some useful findings that enable employers to revise their hiring strategy. For example, nearly half of part-time or self-employed candidates considered “double time pay” as a critical driver. This group of candidates are also looking for ‘medical/insurance coverage for self and family’, ‘long service award’, ‘compensation for overtime’ such as overtime pay or days in lieu, as well as an average of 26.2% increase in salary increment when job hunting.

Actionable insights: communication channel activities for recruiting highly capable part-time or self-employed talent 

One of the key findings of Laws of Attraction is that part-time employees expect the same treatment and benefits as permanent employees. In the retail sector for example, there is no practical reason why long-serving part-time staff would not be thrilled to receive a long service award, much as for full-time team members who would expect their efforts to be similarly recognised. They also want to be provided with medical or insurance coverage, which is a very common employee benefit in the workplace.

In order to make freelance and part-time staff know that their efforts are appreciated, and that they are valuable team members with many of the same rights as full-time staff, firm commitments need to be communicated by the employer. By taking an integrated approach to employee HR comms – for example, encompassing traditional, digital, legal-obligatory, and social channels, as well as the Employee Handbook, employers can maximize the effectiveness of all of these opportunities for positive engagement.

Some examples include the recording of an employee benefit familiarization video posted on YouTube, which would suggest to potential employees that the company takes their rights and benefits seriously. Internal HR newsletter distributions are common already, but digital dissemination on the company’s intranet can allow respondents to return comments and survey answers within digital documents. This is helpful in actively encouraging two-way discussion and idea contribution, whilst enhancing the internal atmosphere of empathy and collaboration.

These things are just as important to part-time and freelance staff as they are to full-timers. It is helpful to create an environment in which staff of all contract types feel they are welcome, and in doing so will enhance the company’s reputation as a forward-thinking and effective leader in its HR culture and progressive outlook.

By carefully and positively outlining guidelines, expectations, and benefits, companies are able to benefit from attracting a workforce that is highly agile, self-motivated, highly engaged, and very much in tune with the times.