Do you hire a part-time or full-time employee?

Part-time vs. Full-time Employees

One decision you need to make when hiring is whether to hire full-time or part-time employees. Easy question to answer you say? "Well, part-time of course. They are cheaper!" In many instances, this is true. You may be able to pay a lower wage and offer fewer or no benefits. In addition, it can be easier to find people to fill in for a part-time employee versus a full-time employee. In an industry as competitive the cleaning business, labor is HUGE in determining profitability. That is why so many positions are part-time. However, this does not mean there is no reason to hire full-time employees.

One thing to do when determining whether to hire full-time or part-time is to evaluate the position you are hiring for. For most general cleaning work to be performed, part-time labor is the best choice for economic reasons. Depending upon the size of your company, you may need managers or supervisors. In these key positions, you will want the best possible people for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, the part-time labor market tends to have a higher turnover rate than the full-time market. Do you want to be constantly training in new staff in these key positions? You want people who are interested in making this a career, not a second job. People who are just looking for a part-time job may only be around until their financial needs are met.

Similarly, a larger company may have a need for a Project position, or in other words, an individual or individuals who do special projects such as floor care. Oftentimes on a large job, an entire full-time shift may be needed to complete it. This is especially true when waxing a floor. You don't want to rush dry time between coats, so that longer time frame may be required. Some jobs cannot be done in smaller increments; to do so would be too inefficient. Again, with this key position, you would want a stable, long-term employee. Another example of where a full-time position may be required is a day porter in a large facility. These high profile positions require close contact between the customer and your employee. Most customers would prefer to deal with the same person on a consistent basis, so again turnover is an issue. A stable, high-quality employee is important in this instance.

The cleaning business is also about relationships, so having a strong person as the first line representation of your company is vital. For most employees in these buildings, a day porter is the only person they see from your company, so you want them to make a good impression. The obvious downfall to hiring full-time employees is cost. A higher wage rate and any benefits, such as health insurance if offered, vacation time, and sick time, are just a few costs to consider. Most companies when starting out do not have a need for these types of positions, so this decision is not important.

It becomes important as you grow, however, that you weigh the benefits of full-time against the cost. Consider, however, that in the instance of hiring a Project person, the profit margins are generally much higher, so there is some room to work with there. Also, in the instance of hiring a full-time day position, you can use that fact as a selling point in obtaining the contract.

Most customers will acknowledge the benefits of hiring full-time, but they also need to realize that the increased cost to do so may be passed on to them via a higher contract cost. This is an instance where the lowest cost is not necessarily the best, as long as they can see a value in a higher cost. Hiring full-time or part-time is an important decision. Many times, economics will make that decision for you. Just keep in mind there are instances where a full-time employee is preferable or even necessary, so carefully weigh the pros and cons and make your decision wisely.

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